


Acid Rain

by Time_Thief



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Dark, Deviates From Canon, F/M, Female Anti-Hero, Hurt/Comfort, Original Character(s), POV Female Character, POV First Person, Romance, Season/Series 01, Temporary Amnesia, ocxcanon, there will be duels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-23
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2019-08-27 22:03:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 25
Words: 129,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16710877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Time_Thief/pseuds/Time_Thief
Summary: Team Satisfaction was the perfect gig for Rain. It offered a good purpose to fill where her lost memories left a hole, fun duels alongside her friends, and her relationship with her partner Kalin. The Satellite wasn't exactly pristine living conditions. It was home, though.The Facility is a hellhole in comparison. While Rain feels justified in what landed her there, the abuse and loneliness are miserable. The winds begin to change when Rain hears the whispers of a big, red Dragon, who has a higher purpose to offer - at the cost of making an enemy of a former ally.(Based on WC2010/OCxKalin/minorScoop+Faith)





	1. Introduction

            A rather large, red dragon sauntered towards me. He rose onto his hind legs. His eyes blazed like suns. We stood upon a plane of infinite darkness. I stuck my hands in my pockets and said, “You interrupted my dreams.”

            _This is important_. His words echoed throughout my mind as though mimicking my own thoughts. His voice was deep and resounding – the opposite of mine. He said, _The war will repeat soon. I have selected five humans to bear my power and fight on my behalf._

            I laughed. “You woke me up to waste my time with jokes?”

            _I do not joke_ , he said. _Five humans wear my marks, and five humans will dispel the wicked gods._

            I grinned and tossed up a hand. “I wonder if your chosen humans bleed crimson, too.”

            His set of ruby-red teeth snapped down an inch from my nose. _You will not harm them. Your duty is to protect them._

            “You have no right to define my duty. There was no agreement to protect goddamn _humans_.”

            The dragon’s growl rumbled the very atmosphere. _You will not harm them._

            “As if you have any power to decide! That’s the thing about symbiosis. You need me. You don’t have the leverage to make demands. You’re just a desperate dragon putting up a front of intimidation. I think I’ll take you up on your offer and discover how _crimson_ your marked humans can be.”

            He roared in my face, tossing my hair. _I should have left you in hell!_

 

* * *

 

           Blackness swallowed my consciousness in the wake of the memory’s end. I attempted to move my arms and legs, but they weighed tons. My sight was corroded; I was only able to make out various shades of blue. I tried to speak but my mouth wouldn’t follow instructions. A man’s voice said, “That wasn’t anything close to what I’m looking for. I said the Spirit World, dammit!”

            “I believe the anesthetics are wearing off, sir,” a chipper, feminine voice said.

            My blurry vision adjusted to a pair of forest-green eyes. They were thinned by a smile. “You’re quite the fighter, puppet. Do you know how much simpler your life would be if you gave me what I wanted? It is simply incomprehensible how unable you are to grasp the fact that you are helpless. There is no dashing rescue on the way. There is no daring escape for you to find. You have nothing. You are nothing. Listen, puppet. If you give in, you can have the freedom you so long for. All it takes is for you to _give in_.”

            I wanted to put my energy into clenching my teeth, glaring at him, or anything, anything – why couldn’t I do anything?

            Because I was helpless and nothing. My neck slacked. I was staring at my own shoes. The man snapped his fingers. “Administer the anesthesia again. I have a hunch we’ll figure out what we’re here for this time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- As always, constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated! I love hearing what you think! ♥


	2. Shattered Mind Frame

            I rubbed at my face and groaned as I sat up. It felt like I’d slept for centuries. Had my own snore woken me up? Eugh… gross. I glanced around for a clock or a window to figure out what time it was. The room’s red wallpaper didn’t strike any memories. In fact, nothing in the room did. Where was I? And… when did I fall asleep, anyway?

            Frantic knocking on the door distracted me. A voice from beyond it called, “Hello? Hell-ooooo! Is anyone in there? If my roomy is, please open the door! I lost my key, and I’m too afraid to ask for another!”

            My head ached but I needed to let the poor guy in. As soon as I stood up, I almost fell again. I managed to steer myself to the door and push down the handle. The door burst open, and a blurry force slammed into me. I caught focus on a boy with brown curly hair and blue-green eyes.

            “Oh! S-Sorry, I didn’t think you were in here! I was trying to bust the door down.” He hopped to his feet, but I could only prop up on my elbows. At least he appeared to be genuinely sorry. He was wearing a strange outfit: a dark purple robe with a tall collar and puffy white pants. I looked down only to realize I was wearing the same thing. It was quite the fashion statement, to say the least. An itchy one.

            “It’s… fine,” I stammered. My voice felt cracked from misuse.

            “So, it’s your first day at the Movement, too, right? This place seems so cool!” He slammed his fist into his open palm. “Finally a place to practice my psychic powers!”

            “Movement? What is this place called… again?” I tried to sound like I had just forgotten the name.

            “The Arcadia Movement, of course! We’re a part of the rising power of the decade, a safe haven for psychic duelists like us. How could you forget? Like, practically everyone knows who Akiza is now, too! Oh my God, she is so cool, and hot, too!” I didn’t want to crush his spirits, so I decided not to ask anything else. Then again, that name did sound familiar… Akiza.

            A low voice rumbled among my thoughts: _She is one of our Signers._

“Um, did you say something?”

            “No, did you hear something?”

            “It was probably nothing,” I said. “By the way, what’s your name?”

            “My name? It’s Zerudachen, but you can call me Zeru,” he answered, stretching out his hand. “What’s yours?”

            Name? Oh, easy. It’s…

            Not so easy. I couldn’t remember my own name. My own name! I smiled nervously and kept shaking his hand like an idiot. What was it? Something to do with water…

            _Rain. Your name is Rain._

“Rain,” I said, praying that was some sort of memory burst and _not_ an ominous voice in my head. I wasn’t crazy. Not in the clinical way. I hoped.

            “You sure that’s the truth?” Zeru said. “It took you an awful lot of time to come up with that.”

            “It’s been a really weird day,” I apologized. “I may be a little slow.”

            “Ah, that sucks! Hey, I know. How about a duel? That’ll get you back into the swing of things!”

            _“How about a duel.”_ At that phrase, several memories sprouted up in my head: many different voices, all asking the same question. Maybe doing this seemingly simple task could help me out. “Yeah, sure.”

            “Alright, ready your deck!”

            Deck? I instinctively looked at my arm; for what reason, I had no idea. A contraption was strapped to it with a pack of cards inside. When I raised it to position, a lever stretched out and shot out five areas where cards could be placed. The lever holding it was sickle-shaped. The term duel disk came to mind, though I wasn’t sure where from.

            I had definitely done this before. Maybe. Hopefully. I said, “I’m ready.”

* * *

**“DUEL START!”**

 

            After our shout in unison, I said, “You can take the first move.”

            “Alrighty, time to put this trial deck to good use! I summon Krebons in defense position, set one card face-down, and end my turn!”

            A jester-like monster danced opposite me and tinged blue. I added a sixth card to my hand and considered my options. I hoped I’d get a memory burst from the cards, but I didn’t recognize them at all. I could sort of see the idea here, though. “I summon Alien Shocktrooper and attack Krebons!”

            “My monster’s effect activates,” Zeru said, setting his hands on his hips with gusto. I wondered how he kept his cards from sliding off. “By paying 800 life points, your attack is negated!”

            His life counter dropped to 3200. I said, “Uh, why are you so happy about that..?”

            “You’ll see!”

            I rolled my eyes. He’d be a world-class poker player. “I activate the continuous spell ‘A’ Cell Breeding Device and end my turn.”

            “Fiiinally. Watch closely, ‘cause this is gonna be super cool! I summon Mind Protector in defense position and tune it with Krebons! Two stars plus three equals five, aligning to Synchro Summon Magical Android!”

            His two monsters sparkled and twisted in form to become a teal-robed woman bearing a staff. Her long, pink locks fluttered as though a breeze disturbed our room. Zeru commanded, “Attack Alien Shocktrooper! Mindfrared Blast!”

            His Synchro Monster’s 2200 attack overcame Shocktrooper’s 1900, so the beam of emerald light from Android’s staff blasted through my monster to me. It hit my shoulder, and the skin beneath my robe burned. I grimaced and clutched at the afflicted area. Zeru yelped. “Ah, I’m sorry! I thought I had it under control… We can end the duel if-”

            “Is your turn over yet, or what?”

            Zeru’s mouth hung open for a few moments. “Uh, yeah. My life points increase by 600 for every Psychic on my field thanks to Android’s effect. You sure you’re okay with this?”

            His life boosted to 3800, giving him a 100-point lead. Brushing off my shoulder, I said, “One A-Counter is added to your monster thanks to my spell card. I summon the level one tuner Alien Ammonite and, by its effect, special summon Alien Shocktrooper from the graveyard. These monsters fall in sync to bring Cosmic Fortress Gol’gar to the field!”

            A disgusting green monstrosity tore through a dark, starlit portal. Red and green tentacles lashed wildly in all directions, and solid white eyes glared at my opponent. Zeru’s face twisted. “That thing’s gross.”

            I matched his expression. “Sure is. But! It has some nice abilities. For example, I can return my spell to my hand to add another A-Counter to your Magical Android. Gol’gar’s second effect lets me remove two A-Counters to destroy a card on your field, like… Magical Android!”

            “Woah, woah, hold on!” Zeru shouted. “I activate Psychic Soul! By tributing Magical Android, I regain life points equal to its level times three hundred!”

            His counter increased to 5300. I said, “That doesn’t stop my Fortress’s direct attack! Starfall Demolition!”

            Its white eyes shone neon green, and twin beams fired at Zeru’s chest. He was thrown off his feet by the attack; his life fell to 2700. “H-hey! No powers!”

            I wondered what he was babbling about. The pain was as normal as playing the card game to me. “Uh, right. I’ll activate ‘A’ Cell Breeding Device again and end my turn.”

            He hopped to his feet. “Well! I guess neither of us can control our powers. No problem, Rain! That’s why we’re here, right? Anyway, back to the duel! I’ll summon another Krebons in defense position and equip it with the spell Telekinetic Charging Cell! I no longer have to pay life points to use his ability. That keeps me untouchable!”

            “Did you forget about my A-Counter combo?”

            “Nope! I set one face-down and end my turn! This next turn, you’ll be done for!”

            He’s a pretty open guy, isn’t he? I said, “My draw. One A-Counter is added to Krebons. Next I’ll activate-”

            “Not so fast! I use my trap, Fiendish Chain! This prevents your creepy alien thingy from using its ability, attacking, or being tributed! Take _that_!”

            “So that’s what the face-down was for, huh,” I muttered. “Well, that’s no problem at all.”

            He blinked several times. “Huh?”

            “I summon Alien Hypno in attack position and use the spell card Double Summon! I’ll use the extra summon it allows to Gemini Summon Alien Hypno, letting me use his effect. Since Krebons has an A-Counter, I can take control of him!”

            “ _What_?”

            Hypno’s glowing red eyes and spindly fingers beckoned Zeru’s monster, and its control swapped to my side of the field. “I’ll change Krebons to attack position and attack directly with both of my monsters to end this duel!”

            Hypno and Krebons whacked him in unison, but their strikes phased through his body. His life dropped to zero, and he punched the air. “Dangit! That was a solid move. Never saw it coming! What made you choose that sort of deck?”

            I glanced at the stack of cards and returned the ones I’d used to the deck. “Not sure. To be honest, the cards are kind of ‘alien’ to me. Ha ha… ha… haaa?”

            One of his green eyes squinted. “You’re weird, you know that?”

            “Actually, I don’t know much about me.”

            A knock on the door interrupted our conversation. He said, “That must be our daily assignment!”

            Zeru opened the door, and a woman entered. “Greetings, new recruits. Sayer has a special job for you two today. You will be attending the Fortune Cup with Miss Akiza Izinski to both view professional duels and be guardians of our dear spokesperson. Prepare your decks and follow me, please.”

            My duel disk compacted itself. “I’m ready.”

            “Me, too,” Zeru added. “Let’s head out, roomie! This is going to be so awesome.”

            His excitement was sickening. Or maybe I hadn’t gotten over that he burned me. We walked out to behold the inside of the Arcadia building. The walls were painted brick red. Just in front of me was a railing made of glass. The metal top was painted gold. Fancy – or, rather, attempting to be.

            I peered over the balcony. We were on one of the higher floors, so the people in the lobby looked like ants. The balcony went all around the building in a thin strip. Not very efficient with their space, huh? I guessed there weren’t many psychic duelists.

            We were on the west side heading south to the main elevators. Our room was on the same level as the director’s office, so there was a lot of activity around us. We walked to the elevators and rode down. On the main floor, there was even more buzz.

            “You two should be fine from here. Good luck,” she wished us with a giggle. We exited in silent agreement and ran into two people. Judging by Zeru’s loss of composure, I assumed the woman was Akiza. She wore a red outfit that belonged at a renaissance fair. A plain, white mask covered her features.

            The man she was with – Sayer, was it? - wasn’t much; he wore a long trench coat. All I could see were his fancy shoes and odd burgundy hair. In the back, it barely fell past his shoulders, and in the front it was all bundled up over his right eye and curled upward. As soon as they saw us, they stopped talking. When his gaze fell on me, his jaw jumped as if trying to hide a smile. Unexplainable hatred festered in my heart. I pushed aside the random feeling. It was probably nothing.

            “Welcome to your first job, you two,” he said.

            I thought Zeru was about to explode. Hearing him try to talk was kind of sad. He started with several stammers until managing to form a “hello”. He introduced himself and told Akiza how she had always been his idol and how she looked very pretty today. She seemed impassive, but maybe it was the mask. He stuck his hand out, and she actually shook it. She turned to me.

            “What about you? How’s the first day?” I was tempted to say something like “awful” or “confusing.” I tried to be as nice as possible.

            “Okay,” I uttered without smiling. She started to ask if something was wrong but Sayer cut in.

            “We must make our way towards the Memorial Circuit. It’s almost time to make our grand entrance.” The noonday sun sparkled on the glass skyscrapers of the city. A massive crowd filtered towards the stadium, and our group was escorted straight to the entrance. Through the windows, I could see a huge duel field with a track running around it. People were filling the stands. A giant screen above the crowd read, “Welcome to the Fortune Cup!”

            It must have been a huge event for this city. This city… what was it again? Why were there so many holes in my memory?

            “Rain, get your head out of the clouds!” Zeru tapped my nose. “No pun intended. We have to catch back up.”

            Akiza and Sayer pushed through reporters and duelists. They caught interesting looks: some horrified, some amazed, and some excited. We ran after them. At the end of the hall, Sayer was arguing with someone. I slipped past and entered the room behind him. Akiza wasn’t there, so I figured she was prepping for her duels.

            I was relieved to have alone time to think. So I was Rain, a psychic duelist at the Arcadia Movement. Was that the truth? I didn’t remember signing up for an Arcadia Movement or being a psychic duelist. What did I remember? Nothing. Nothing..?

            Impossibly loud cheering caught my attention. This room’s window had a side view of the stadium, so I could see what was happening in the tournament. The first round’s duels had already finished. From the looks of the standings, Akiza had made it to the next round. The next match was a spiky-haired kid – Yusei Fudo – against a large man named Greiger.

            That name, Yusei, sounded so familiar… I massaged my forehead. Had I known him? I chose to ignore the feeling. The match would be on Duel Runners. What were those? The duel was starting, but where? After the countdown, the two competitors zoomed past on motorcycles. Runners were… Vehicles you could duel on? The rules were different from a regular duel, too.

            Yusei defeated his opponent, and the crowd roared. The excitement decayed to horror as the big man, Greiger, drove his bike over a ledge to catapult himself over the stadium. Halfway through his maneuver, a spike shot out of his bike and shattered the glass enclosing the upper viewing deck. Greiger was swiftly detained. I hoped whoever he attacked was alright. The duels went on, so I assumed they were.

            I paid close attention to Akiza’s duel. She was facing a man with creepy glasses known as Commander Koda. Akiza won, but she brutally hurt Koda with her psychic powers. The crowd booed her, and her mask kept her expression hidden. From what I gathered, her abilities made the damage in duels real.

            Did I really have power like that? The ferocity the crowd directed at Akiza made me nauseous. This must be why the Arcadia Movement was a ‘safe haven.’

            The duel between Yusei and Akiza followed. Akiza summoned her ace monster: Black Rose Dragon. The audience’s hatred intensified. From the looks of it, though, she suffered from paralyzing emotional stress. I couldn’t blame her with what she was standing up in the face of.

            Yusei tried to reach her, but she was hiding behind the mask. It seemed as if he was done for, but he summoned what must have been his ace: Stardust Dragon. Yusei pulled through with an amazing strategy and won the battle. Of course he did. He always managed to turn the tables.

            Wait, what? How did I know…

            A commotion started in the hall. Akiza burst into the room and collapsed on the couch, crying. Her mask was gone. She must not have noticed me, so I wound a strand of hair around my finger and tugged at my robe’s collar. This Akiza was the opposite of how she appeared in the duels: calm, collected, tough. She needed help, but what could I say? I had to try. I got up, walked over, and patted her back. She quickly rose and glared at me, eyes shining.

            “Why… why are you here? Leave me alone!”

            “Look. It’s… okay.” Oh, my stars, I was terrible at this.

            “No, I’m a monster,” she whispered. “Everyone hates me. Everyone is afraid of me. They’re right to be. I would be better off dead!”

            Her sentiment struck a chord deep within me. The words spilled out of me without thinking. “Akiza… Mind if I just call you Aki? Anyway, if they see you as a monster, what’s the problem? It just proves that they’re not worth your time. Live for you, ignore the background noise.”

            “You…” She tilted her head to observe me with one chocolate eye. “I thought I recognized you from somewhere. You’re that girl on all the wanted posters, the Satellite they call the shadow. Is that why you… understand? Being a Satellite in the City can’t be a happy existence either, can it? You’re a part of the Movement, too. That’s a double dose of hate, like me and Yusei put together…”

            My head spun. “Satellite? Wanted posters? Um, I don’t follow.”

            “Don’t you remember being in the Facility?” she asked. “You have a criminal mark.”

            …A what? There it was again, the hole. The memories attached to the familiarity slipped through my fingers like water through a sieve. Well, whatever. The most important thing was to move forward. I cleared my throat. “Well, Aki, it’s my job to protect you, and I plan on not letting you down. Whatever those people believe… you seem like a nice enough person to me.”

            She laughed softly and rested both of her hands over her heart. “You know, maybe you’re right. If others like you and Yusei can go on despite the people around you… maybe I can, too. I hope you stay in the Movement. Sayer can keep you safe. He’s so sweet. He takes care of me, too, like he’s my guardian angel.”

            …Angel?

            Pain pulsed through my brain, and I saw a bare room with a single, barred window. A teenager with icy blue hair stood beside it. Moonlight glinted against a bright yellow stripe breaking the skin down the right side of his face. He said, “You and me, we’re partners. We’ve got to stick together, because we’re all each other has!”

            “But we don’t always have to be alone,” I begged. “We have friends.”

            Sudden venom dripped through his words: “So they can betray us, too?”

            I was thrown back into the present and gasped for breath. My heart threatened to explode out of my chest. Aki’s eyes tilted down, and she reached for my forearm. “Are you-”

            The instant she touched me, red light shone from her right arm. A pattern resembling a crooked claw glowed on top of her glove. She swiftly covered it with her other hand and backed away. When she did, the light dissipated, her glove blank like the other half of its pair. Her eyes were wide when she said, “It reacted to you!”

            “What _was_ that?”

            “Don’t worry about it,” she urged. “Forget you saw anything.”

            What was happening to me? That crazy light, and that memory..! Who did I see? When I thought of his face, I felt so… so sad, and so empty. Why? Who was he?

            Before I could ask any of the many questions on my mind, Sayer burst in. His green eyes glinted with anger. “Akiza! We’re leaving. You, peon! Go in front and make sure no one gets in our way.”

            The hell did he just call me?

            “No.” Aki rose. “I’m watching the final match. And, you… tell me your name.”

            I lowered my head so my bangs cast shadows over my eyes. “It’s Rain.”

            Sayer wasn’t happy about Aki’s decision but agreed to her wishes. The competitors zoomed past the window, and I recognized both of them as Yusei and Jack. Yusei and Jack? How did I know them… again..?

            I needed a better view. I exited the room and sprinted to the upper deck. Yusei was up against the reigning champion: Jack Atlas. They both had their ace monsters out – Stardust Dragon and Red Dragon Archfiend – but something was wrong. Their arms were glowing bright red like Aki’s had earlier, and the sight made me queasy.

            _It’s time. Set me free._

            The deep, unnerving voice spoke in confident tones. A flash of red blurred my vision. I had to steady myself and take a moment to catch my breath. A massive red dragon soared above the stadium. It glowed red, black, and orange like an inverse sun. Its blood-colored hide was stark against the deep blue of the daytime sky. I joined in the crowd’s collective gasp.

            The Crimson Dragon. The name shattered through the memory block in my mind. In another flash, the Dragon disappeared, and nausea hit me like an ocean wave. The duel appeared to be over, so it must have been time to leave. I ran back to the hallway to enter the main lobby. Before I could, though, a girl with swirly-eyed glasses stopped me.

            “Wait! That uniform means you’re from the Arcadia Movement, right? Well, I have some questions for you! My name’s Carly Carmine, ace reporter.”

            “Do I look like I care?” Her expression drooped. I sighed. “Sorry. If I were you, I’d just go home. I know I wish I could.”

            “Um, hey! Does that mean they’re keeping you hostage? I smell a scoop!” I smacked myself on the forehead. “What? Oh my gosh, is that Akiza and Sayer, leader of the Arcadia Movement? I’m out, but don’t think this is over! We’ll meet again, I’m sure!”

            I hoped not. She shoved her way past me, but before she was completely through the door, she halted.

            “Wait a second! Haven’t I seen your face somewhere before? Ah, no time! See you!”

            My face? I- I didn’t even remember what I look like! I had to remind myself to keep moving forward. My priority was finding Zeru. I walked out after she was gone and heard the door burst open behind me. A man dressed like a little clown stepped out. I followed his line of vision to see Sayer escorting Aki outside.

            “Stop!” he exclaimed. His voice was high-pitched like a woman’s. “Akiza Izinski must remain here for the meeting. You can’t take her back yet!”

            Sayer’s eyes glinted with malice. “I can take her whenever I want. She doesn’t want to stay here, and she doesn’t have to. Good-by, Lazar.”

            Lazar steamed. His eyes met mine, and his expression shifted to shock. “The fugitive is here! Guards, detain the girl with white hair!”

            I must have had white hair, because he pointed straight at me. The first dashed at me. I instinctively dodged and slammed my fist into the back of his skull, knocking him out cold.

            A gloved hand curled over my fist. Something about the touch raced chills down my spine. I was frozen like a statue. I couldn’t take my eyes off of Sayer’s sly smile. He stepped in front of me and said, “This one’s with me, too. Don’t touch her _or else_.”

            Even I could feel the silent threat resonating throughout the room. How did he have so much power over them? Hell – over _me_?

            He escorted me outside the stadium with ease and told me to go back on my own. He said he would clear things up. My feet took me to the Arcadia Movement while my head spun.

            The clown dude called me a fugitive. Was that true? Aki said I had something called a criminal mark and mentioned a place called ‘the Facility.’ Was I there? What did I do? Judging by my immediate reaction, it may not have been pretty. Would I really do something like that? I hoped not, please, no…

            My head was pounding from the memories attempting to resurface. I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I walked right into someone. “Oh! Um, my bad-”

            I looked up to see Yusei Fudo, alleged winner of the Fortune Cup. When he saw me, his eyes widened just like Lazar’s had. “R-Rain? You’re… here? But why are you- I thought you were- Wait, why are you wearing that uniform?”

            He observed me with such fondness my memories almost burst. I definitely knew this Yusei Fudo. Why couldn’t I remember? And, why _was_ I wearing the Arcadia Movement uniform? I was about to say something but, as if on cue, Sayer appeared and rooted himself between my old friend and me.

            “Damn you, Fudo! Why must you always meddle in my affairs?” He grabbed my arm and dragged me forward. I fought his grip and broke free to hear Yusei.

            “Rain? No, stop! What happened? Where’s Kalin?”

            Kalin.

            _Kalin._

            I tried to hold a grip on reality, but it was too late. His name had broken the seal; I was thrust into the past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes you've edited a chapter so many times your eyes start to cross when you read it for the 18,734th time (ʘ‿ʘ) I think I have finally figured out tagging this time. hopefully, maybe. I hope you enjoy! (｡◕‿◕｡)


	3. Clarity Through Rainfall

            I emerged from the darkness and opened my eyes. The sky above carried the gray haze of smog, and the alley around me was dusty and pocked with debris. I struggled to a standing position and fell against the crumbling stone building to my right. The sun broke through the bleak sky, and I blinked at it.

            Where was I? I had this feeling like- like something terrible just happened. Wait. _Who_ was I? I couldn’t remember… anything…

            It wasn’t long before I heard a clamor and a boy ran past the alley. He looked like he was running for his life. I pushed myself off the wall and stumbled to the end of the alley, kicking a shard of shattered green stone aside as I rushed past. I peered out at him. He stood tall and met my eyes; his were a bright hazel. He looked like he was in his teen years, maybe around my age. Er, if only I could remember what age that was…

            “Hey! Stop, you!” Those were the voices I had heard earlier. Two men in uniform stared down the boy. “Sector Security orders you to stand down!”

            The boy laughed but I caught a hint of nervousness in it. I slid out between him and the two officers. I noticed the disk on my arm, which instinct guided me into activating. It extended like a sickle while I took off the top card. I threw it down, and a huge white dragon burst out. They both halted, and I said, “S-Stand down, I’m warning both of you!”

            “Ha. Think a hologram can save you? Dumb Satellite trash.” He tried to walk through the Blue-Eyes… and bumped into its head. “The hell?”

            “Attack,” I ordered. A white beam of energy shot from my dragon’s mouth and blasted them both. They went flying backwards and landed with a hard _thunk!_ They scrambled to their feet, tossed back fearful glances, and ran away. I yelled after them, “Cowards!”

            “Ha, you’re pretty tough!” I had almost forgotten about the guy. He had short, straight hair colored light blue. He wore a brown vest with a cream fur collar over a red shirt and jeans. A lavender headband was tied under his bangs. He grinned as he gave me the head-to-toe. “Got a name?”

            “Um, not really,” I answered.

            “Whaaat? How can you not have a name?”

            “I don’t remember. I don’t remember anything, actually. Where am I?”

            “Don’t remember anything, huh?” He grasped his chin. “Hey, maybe I can help! You should come with me. This is the Satellite, by the way.”

            “Oh. Where are we going?”

            “You ask too many questions! You’ll see when we get there.”

            “Uh, okay then. I’ll follow you.”

            “Yeah. Stick close. We’re in a dangerous area.” He took my hand, looked me in the eyes, and winked. “The name’s Kalin by the way.”

            Kalin broke into a sprint without letting go of my hand. After running past grimy streets and dreary people, we stopped at a ruined building overlooking the ocean. The sun was starting its descent, and its orange was fiery on the water’s surface. “We’re here.”

            “It’s pretty,” I muttered.

            “Hah, yeah. After seeing it every day, I hardly even notice it now,” he said. “Anyways, come on. They’re waiting.”

            “Who?”

            “Like I said, you ask too many questions.” I followed him to the top of the building. The whole roof on this section had fallen in. Part of the wall was missing, so the sunset was visible. There was a table in the middle of the open room with a map on it. It appeared to be an island marked into different sections, and each was labeled with a different letter.

            Three other guys stood around the room. They were all wearing the same sleeveless jacket as Kalin along with jeans, but they had different shirts. One was wearing a black shirt; he had blond hair and violet eyes. He spoke with a strange accent: “Kalin! Where have you been?”

            “I was busy,” he answered.

            “Being chased by someone, I bet,” another said. He had orange, spiky hair, gray eyes, and a yellow mark shaped like an “M” on his forehead. He wore a yellow shirt and had a navy headband on.

            “Hey, who’s that?” asked the last one. He had blue eyes and black hair spiked up with gold highlights. He wore a black shirt with a red symbol on it. His words cast all their attention on me. I instinctively looked at my own feet, which were bare and dirty.

            “What I was busy with,” Kalin said with a smug smile. “I’m getting her to join. I, uh, _may_ have been running from Securities… until she totally made them her bitches. They were running with their tails between their legs after what she pulled. It was the greatest thing I’ve ever seen!”

            …Greatest? Did he really mean that? Before I could think more on it, the blond grunted. “If she wants to be on the team, she needs more than scare tactics. She’s got to have dueling skills.”

            “Would it kill ya to be nice, Jack? Sorry about him. The name’s Crow,” the orange-haired one said as he stuck out his hand. I shook it.

            “Nice to meet you,” I said. I hoped he got my silent thanks as well.

            “I’m Yusei,” the one with black hair said. “And what about you? What’s your name?”

            “That’s the thing,” Kalin said. “See, she’s lost her memory. She doesn’t know her name or anything about herself. She didn’t even know where she was when I found her!”

            Their expressions hardened with sympathy – barring Jack’s. Crow, who was standing beside me, put a hand on my shoulder. “That’s rough. Don’t worry, though; you’ve got friends now. We’ll help you through this!”

            “Yeah,” Yusei agreed. “Out here, we have to stick together.”

            Their smiles were so reassuring that I couldn’t help but reflect the expression. Doubts screamed at me, but where could the harm be? They were going out of their way to help me. “I’m lucky I ran into you guys.”

            Jack slammed a hand on the desk and pointed the other at me. “Duel me.”

            “Eh?”

            “If you’re not some charity case, prove it.” He activated his disk. “Duel me now.”

            “I’m _telling_ you it’s not necessary,” Kalin assured.

            “Can you be nice for once in your life?” Crow added.

            Yusei sighed. “There’s no stopping Jack from being Jack. Understand that accepting is entirely your choice.”

            My choice?

            But he was telling me to, and with that fire in his eyes… I flicked out my wrist. The duel disk activated. I said, “Sure. You can go fi-”

* * *

 

**“DUEL START!”**

 

            Jack loosed the harsh shout while already drawing his sixth card. “I discard a monster to special summon Power Giant. Its level is lowered by the monster I sent, dropping it from six to five. I summon Dread Dragon and tune it with Power Giant for a Synchro Summon!”

            A trio of green rings reached towards the orange-painted sky. A pillar of light broke through the stray clouds. A claw ripped the rings apart. A purple dragon soaring on crimson wings glowered down at me. Jack said, “Introducing Exploder Dragonwing. I set one card face-down and end my turn.”

            I glanced over my hand. I could see how the abilities had the potential to work together. I’d use them before; I was sure of it. “I discard a level eight or higher dragon to special summon Hardened Arm Dragon, and I banish it from my field to special summon Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon!”

            Red-Eyes ripped out of Hardened Arm Dragon’s corpse. Its 2800 attack had the potential to overcome Exploder Dragonwing’s 2400. I said, “I’ll use Darkness Metal Dragon’s ability to special summon a Dragon-type from my hand, like Genesis Dragon!”

            Its brown scales and wings reflected the purple of the oncoming night. Its 2200 attack power would be useful in tacking on damage if I was able to remove his monster. I could add more if I wanted to expend all my resources, but I was wary of his trap. I decided to keep the other cards in my hand as a safety net.

            A whistle from the sidelines dragged me up from my strategizing. Kalin had his fingers tucked into his jean pocket and the other hand waving towards our monsters. “Check it. They both use dragons. Best friends already.”

            “Hey, yeah!” Crow said. “They’re totally matching!”

            “That could mean they could share strategies to help each other improve,” Yusei said.

            Their banter seemed to make Jack… angrier? If the downward twitching of his nostrils was anything to go by, definitely angrier. I gulped. “Uh… Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon battles Exploder Dragonwing…”

            “Trap activate!” he shouted. “Prideful Roar! I pay life points equal to the difference between our battling monsters’ attack, and Exploder Dragonwing gains that amount plus 300!”

            Dragonwing batted Red-Eyes out of the sky as though it were a bothersome fly. To be honest, I felt much the same. My life counter dropped from 4000 to 3700 while his fell to 3600. Kalin said, “Look at that! She took the lead.”

            “ _That’s_ your takeaway?” Jack growled.

            “I end my turn!” I said, hoping the cutoff would prevent any more fury directed my way.

            Jack slammed a card on his disk. The card zone glowed, and a four-armed being of darkness materialized on his field. He thrust his arm forward and exclaimed, “Exploder Dragonwing attacks Genesis Dragon! Effect trigger! Dragonwing has the greater attack; thusly, Genesis Dragon is destroyed, and you take every point of its attack power as direct damage.”

            “Wha?” I squeaked. A surge of red and orange shone from within Genesis. Its body expanded and blew to bits, which rained onto me. My life points dropped to 1500.

            “Archfiend Interceptor now attacks directly!”

            The dark monster charged. I held up my arms to defend myself, but the monster phased through. I kept my eyes shut. Had I just lost? That would be embarrassing, especially in front of all these guys I hoped I could be friends with…

            I cracked open one eye to peek at my life points.

            100.

            “Set card and turn end,” Jack said. “I’ll warn you now, though. Archfiend Interceptor’s ability deals 500 damage if you declare an attack.”

            “How kind of you to warn her,” Kalin said with a giggle.

            “More like he wants her to know how trapped she is,” Crow murmured.

            The corners of my mouth twitched down as I picked up the top card of my deck. Jack said, “Hope it was a lucky draw, ‘cause that’s your only way out of the grave you dug.”

            “Tch,” Kalin said, “you just gonna let him say that?”

            Well, yes. He was the experienced one, and quite tall, and also very angry, so… I met Kalin’s eyes and had to stop myself from grimacing. He was looking at me like he was _expecting_ something. That was why he had brought me here, right? That and to help me. I couldn’t let him down.

            I flicked the card I had drawn over my shoulder, and it fluttered to the ground. Jack said, “Oh, good. Folding will at least save some face.”

            “Actually,” I said while fanning out the two cards left in my hand, “I don’t need it. I use the spell Monster Reborn to recover the monster I discarded on my first turn: Felgrand Dragon!”

            Laces of golden silk spiraled up from my graveyard. They twisted and wove the webbing of the dragon’s wings. Its gilded scales followed, and its silver underbelly caught the sunset’s flare. I said, “When Felgrand is special summoned from the grave, it gains 200 attack times the level of another monster in my graveyard. I’ll choose Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon, who just so happens to have ten stars!”

            Red shone in Felgrand’s eyes. Its 2800 attack boosted to 4800. I said, “Felgrand attacks Archfiend Interceptor!”

            “Stupid duelist! You didn’t account for everything on the field even when I warned you!” Jack said. “Interceptor’s ability wipes out your life points!”

            “Quick-Play Spell activate!” I called. “Forbidden Chalice increases Interceptor’s attack by 400 and negates its ability!”

            A blast of golden flames seared through Archfiend Interceptor. Jack’s life fell from 3600 all the way to 600. His brow set over his eyes, casting a menacing shadow. He pressed a button on his duel disk. His trap, Destruction Ring, flipped up. It attached to Exploder Dragonwing, detonated, and dealt 1000 damage to both of us.

            I stammered, “What- why did- you-”

            He shuffled his deck and kept all his attention on Kalin. “Tomorrow. Where?”

            Kalin dusted off his hands and smiled as though nothing was wrong in the world. “Glad you finally asked! Sector H. We leave at dawn. Ready up early and we leave from here together.”

            Jack’s response was an affirmative grunt. He left without another word. I had a finger up and was trying to speak. Didn’t work out.

            Crow set his fists on his hips and said, “Pshaww! I bet he forced a tie because he knew he would lose.”

            “That’s not like him at all,” Yusei said. “I’m guessing he decided he’d seen enough.”

            Kalin waved his hand in the air. “Who caaares. Important thing is we all totally agree she belongs. Right?”

            “I liked the part when you tossed the card,” Crow said. “Shows you got the most important part of dueling down: style.”

            “…I don’t think that’s the most important part,” Yusei said. “It’s strategy, which I would say you showed good thought processes in.”

            “Ahh, you think too much!” Crow countered.

            I bent down, scooped up the card, and shuffled it into my deck. “Th-thanks. I appreciate it, but, but why was he so angry with me?”

            Kalin broke out into laughter. “He has this idea we’re ‘dueling gods’ or some shit! Must’ve been he thought you cramped his style, then you went and kicked his ass!”

            “Th-that’s not what happened, okay?” I said, waving my hands as though to put out a fire. “Please don’t say that to him!”

            I yelped as Kalin hooked his arm around my shoulders. “Riiight. You should be the one to do it. I mean… you two _are_ teammates now.”

            He spoke with a sly smile that swiftly infected me. I shook my head to wipe it away and shout, “I- I would never say that! Um… I’m on the team? For real?”

            Kalin let go of me in a small bout of laughter. “How much more obvious do I have to make it?”

            “That means she can go on the mission tomorrow!” Crow said. “Uh, wait. Did you say we’re leaving here at _dawn_?”

            “That a problem?” Yusei asked.

            “Of course it’s not a problem for _you_ , but… dammit… I have to go set up some DVR, and, uh… I’ll see you guys in the morning!”

            “Think I’ll head out, too,” Yusei said. “Have some deckbuilding to work on.”

            We waved our good-byes. Once we were alone, Kalin crossed his arms and stared at me. I blinked. “Um… what are you doing?”

            “Waiting for you to ask.”

            “Ask… what?”

            He scoffed and threw up his hands as though exasperated. “You’re kidding! We’ve been referencing like a bazillion things you have no way of understanding and you can’t even think of one question?”

            I grasped my arm and dropped my gaze. “I’m, uh, not much of a talker. I think.”

            “I hope that changes!” He wore a bright smile. “C’mon. You’re wondering about what Jack asked, right? And you’ve gotta be curious about what we’re doing tomorrow, don’tcha?”

            “You ask too many questions,” I retorted. He laughed. The sound made me happy, and I felt like I hadn’t known happiness in a long while.

            “In the Satellite, duel gangs reign supreme. They do what they want, no matter what happens to the people around them. Each one of them rules a zone. The larger the zone, the tougher the gang. They make life miserable for anyone in their zone who isn’t in their gang.

            “We decided to end that. We call ourselves Team Satisfaction, and we’re going to unite Satellite one zone at a time.”

            “Fitting name,” I muttered. “I don’t understand how beating bad people in duels stops them from being bad, though.”

            “Way ahead of you,” he said as he walked over to a box in the corner. He tossed me what looked like extended handcuffs. “One end attaches to your disk, the other to the opponent’s. Loser’s gets destroyed. I’ll stop there, since I’m sure you can put two and two together.”

            I pocketed the cuffs. When I did, I noticed I was wearing khaki cargo pants. I put them in my first right side pocket, the one I liked to put my hands in. Of course, this made me wonder what exactly I was wearing. What did I look like? Kalin’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. “So what kind of duel disk _is_ that? I’ve never seen one like it.”

            I looked at my disk. The entire card zone was compacted inside. The outside was a navy color, and the card zones were a lighter blue. While open, it resembled a scythe. The graveyard reached out from the center like a claw. The life point display was in the center of the circle, its screen currently dark. On the bottom of the circle, symbols were carved into the duel disk. They looked familiar, but I couldn’t place it. “I don’t remember where I got it.”

            “Right, right. You know, you not knowing this stuff is starting to get annoying.”

            “For you? Think how bad it is for me!”

            “Well, sor-ry princess. It’s not always about _you_.” He laughed, and I did, too. The sun had almost set, and darkness began its descent upon the Satellite. “So! You need a place to stay, right? I bet you’re dying to go home with me.”

            His knowing smile paired well with my utter confusion. “Uh, sure.”

            “No, you’re not supposed to- It was a joke! You’re not supposed to say ‘yes’ to everything!”

            “Oh. Okay.”

            He pointed an accusatory finger at me. “Not ‘okay,’ either!”

            I blinked. After a moment, I gave a weak thumbs-up. “Cool.”

            “Jesus H. Christ,” he muttered under his breath while pinching the bridge of his nose. I couldn’t help but laugh at his frustration. When I did, he lightened to a small smile. “Where I _was going_ with this was, I know someone who can help you. Follow me.”

            He grasped my hand and dragged me off again. We stopped at a cottage-like house. It was well taken care of, something I hadn’t yet seen in the Satellite. Kalin knocked on the door. I heard scuffling and yelling before the door opened.

            “Who is it?” The woman wore an old-fashioned burgundy dress with a diamond shaped pendant. She had black dreadlocks and a hardened but kind face. “Kalin! You shouldn’t be out this late. Can’t you at least _try_ to stay out of trouble?”

            “No can do,” he answered. “Martha, I’d like you to meet my friend. She needs a place to stay for the night.”

            She gave me the head-to-toe, too. “Oh, why hello there! I’ve never seen you around before. You finally found a girl, Kalin!”

            I tilted my head. What’d that mean? Kalin’s face was bright red. “It’s not like that! She can’t remember anything, and we’re just trying to help her.”

            “You have amnesia? Poor dear, of course you’re welcome to stay here a while! Just make sure not to do anything reckless if you’re hanging out with _that_ crowd.” She shot Kalin a warning glance. He only kept smiling, though.

            I said, “Huh? But you said we were going to your house, Kalin.”

            He waved his arms in front of his face, as though fanning flames from Martha’s laser glare. “That was just a joke, remember? It was a joke! Anyway, you, you should really go in! So I can run! I mean, so I can leave. I’ll find you tomorrow.”

            “Kalin…” I wrapped my arms around him, and he stiffened. I whispered into him, “Thank you.”

            I released him and slipped inside the cottage. Martha, however, didn’t follow me in and closed the door behind me. I decided to look around the place. In the hall stood a body-length mirror. Curiosity guided me into its reflection.

            I had long, white hair and thick bangs that fell over my eyes. My hair fell a few inches past my shoulders. The blue of my eyes was shocking because of how pale my skin was. I almost looked sick. I was wearing a solid black one-armed shirt with the sleeve on the left side. I was still wearing those khaki cargo pants.

            I smiled at myself. Though my world was on the brink of collapse, I had managed to find solid ground for my feet. Yusei was right: we need friends. Now I was a part of a team.

            And all thanks to Kalin.

            Martha opened the door, grumbling about something. I heard traces of a few curses. After a few moments, she noticed me standing there.

            “Ah, you’re still down here. Good. You need to rest up. Upstairs, take the second room on the right. There are kids sleeping up there, so try to be quiet. Oh, and it’s always nice to meet a new face.” Her smile was warm in a motherly way. “Dear, I hope you’ve known what you’ve gotten yourself into. The people around here… are not good people. They feel like they do what they need to survive. I can tell that you’re a kind person, and that’s why I’m saying this. Those boys are kind, too. Except you… you haven’t been here. Just please promise me you’ll be safe.”

            Her eyes showed fear for me. Me, a person she’d just met. Was that even possible? She could be faking it, or- or she actually cared.

            “I promise I’ll always come back. I never break my promises.” I felt a great weight upon that statement, but I had no idea why. “Good night, Martha, and thank you.”

            I headed upstairs and went to my room. I hopped on the soft bed and fell asleep almost instantly. Martha woke me up with a bang or two on the door. I headed downstairs to find six kids messing around. Two were helping Martha cook breakfast while the others were roughhousing.

            “Good morning!” Martha looked cheery as ever. I offered a weak smile. The other four kids happened to notice me. They stopped to stare and whisper.

            Great. Minutes in and I was already the center of attention. I wanted a way to be left alone, so I bent down next to all of them and whispered, “Truth is, I’m a Duel Monster that likes to eat people. Children are the tastiest.”

            I licked my lips. They ran away screaming. I sat in my chair and enjoyed the peace. The girls who were cooking laughed. The older one said, “Serves them right for coming up with dumb rumors.”

            “Breakfast’s ready,” yelled the younger. I sat at the end of the table and chowed on bland stew. I was hungry enough to empty the bowl despite the lack of flavor. When I was done, I sat outside, waiting.

            I decided to see if anything was in my pockets. The front and back pockets were empty besides the cuffs Kalin gave me. In the right middle pocket was a blue crystal bracelet. Its translucence showed the world tinged blue. I slipped it on my wrist. A tiny heart adorned it. This was important, wasn’t it? Someone gave it to me, someone special. Who..?

            “Hey!” Kalin yelled, and I jumped. He laughed and sat beside me. “You ready to go? How’s the deck?”

            “Uh, I forgot to look through it.” I reached for my deck but he intercepted my hand.

            “Too late now. Time to go! Wait. Why aren’t you wearing any shoes?”

            I glanced down at my bare feet. “I don’t wear any?”

            “Weird, but whatever. Let’s go!” He led me back to the same building from yesterday, which he told me was Team Satisfaction’s hideout. This time I was sure to remember the path. On the way, he said, “So. I’ve been coming up with names for you.”

            “…Huh?”

            “You can’t go around with no name! I have to call you something. How do you feel about ‘Whitey?’ Because of your hair, of course.”

            I pouted. “No.”

            “You said ‘no!’ That’s a good sign. How about ‘Shortey?’”

            I suddenly became aware of our height difference. The crown of my head reached his collarbone at best. “No way!”

            He giggled. “Joking, joking. I had to make sure you had at least a smidge of aggression before you have to duel.”

            He was testing me..? I shook it off as we met up with Yusei, Jack, and Crow. Kalin said, “Okay guys, don’t be too worried, because this is probably the weakest gang out there: five members who call themselves the Samurai. A perfect match for us. Yusei, Crow, and Jack will storm the inside, I’ll cover the outside, and Shortey’ll take the roof.”

            “Hey! You said-”

            “Yeah, I lied.”

            “Let’s go already,” Jack grumbled. He was the first to leave, and we all followed. We wound through a maze of back streets and alleyways. Kalin guided us to a large sunbaked building. A guy wearing an odd headdress went inside. Another was leaning on the wall facing us, but he wasn’t looking in our direction.

            “Around here,” Yusei called from behind us. The others followed into an alley that passed the entrance while I stayed put. A ladder was next to the entrance guard. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jack, Crow and Yusei slip inside. Kalin rounded the building. A commotion attracted the entrance guard, and I stole the chance to dash over and climb the ladder.

            One of them knelt on the edge of the building. I quietly pulled out one of the cuffs and attached it to my disk. It made a clicking sound, and the man immediately turned. I tossed the other end, which snapped to his disk.

            “Oh, so you’re one of them, then? Team Satisfaction? This should be easy. I just got some girl!” He cackled, and I scowled. Poor thing had no idea what was in store for him. I activated my duel disk and held it like a scythe. “Nice novelty disk. Too bad it’ll be scrap once I’m done with you!”

* * *

 

**“DUEL START!”**

 

            I winced at his intense shout. Was that something people said? I exclaimed, “Um, duel start!”

            My opponent said, “Not the quickest draw in the west, are you.”

            I tried to ignore his jab. A bead of sweat rolled down the back of my heated neck anyway. I focused on my hand. Like yesterday, familiarity struck me when I saw the cards. I knew what I was doing. Probably. I ordered, “You go first.”

            He drew a card, and a grin flashed across his face. “You’re in for it now! I summon The Six Samurai – Yariza in defense mode. I set one card and end my turn.”

            I drew and frowned at the card. The Eye of Timaeus? It had no description. How was I supposed to use it? I shoved it out of my mind and focused on the others. “Okay, first I use Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your face-down!”

            A tornado swept up and destroyed his set spell. It had turned out to be Level Limit – Area B. “I summon Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV4 and destroy Yariza!”

            The bronze hatchling pecked apart my opponent’s monster. I said, “I set one card face-down and end my turn. Since Horus destroyed your monster, he levels up!”

            My LV4 monster changed to LV6; its bright feathers elongated and wings stretched out. Horus LV6 had 2300 attack. My opponent said, “Your moves are nothing compared to my special string. Try to keep up with this! I summon Legendary Six Samurai – Enishi! I’ll use the effect of Grandmaster of the Six Samurai in my hand, special summoning him since another Six Samurai is on the field. Now that I have two Six Samurai monsters, I can special summon Great Shogun Shien!”

            A green-armored warrior wielding a fiery blade sprouted in front of my opponent. Next to him, an older samurai with black robes folded his arms over his chest. A giant, harrowing warrior rose behind them. Its crimson steel plates and katana blade were reminiscent of blood. Enishi’s 1700 attack boosted to 2200 thanks to its effect. The Grandmaster had 2100 attack and Shogun 2500.

            Oh, shit. I bit my lip. He’d summoned three powerful monsters in one turn!

            “What’s wrong,” he taunted. “Scared? Shogun, destroy Horus!”

            “I activate Waboku!” The holographic trap card flipped up to reveal three men wearing light blue robes. “For the rest of this turn, my monster can’t be destroyed by battle, and I take no battle damage.”

            “I don’t need attacks to destroy your dragon. I end my Battle Phase and activate my spell card, Smashing Ground! The monster on your field with the highest defense is destroyed, and since Horus is the only one…” A yellow cloud gathered above us, and a huge fist descended from it. The hand slammed the roof, but my dragon soared above the strike. My opponent growled, “What the hell? Why wasn’t it destroyed?”

            My smile only lasted a second since I was still at a clear disadvantage. “Horus’s special ability. Spell cards can’t affect him.”

            “It won’t make any difference in the end,” he assured. “I end my turn.”

            At least he had no cards in his backline. At least. I drew and hesitated to look at what it was. When I did, I was surprised by how giddy it made me. “I activate the Ancient Rules spell card! This lets me special summon a level five or higher normal monster from my hand, like the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!”

            The shining white dragon appeared out of a scroll. He and the bronze dragon at his side growled in unison. Blue-Eyes’ 3000 attack looked down on all of the samurais’. My opponent commented, “How’d you get your hands on a card that rare..?”

            “I’ll also summon Exploder Dragon in attack mode,” I continued. “First, Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6 battles Grandmaster!”

            Black fire lit along Horus’s bronze feathers. A wingbeat buffeted my opponent with a storm of ebony heat. Grandmaster shattered under the pressure, sharp feathers tore through the fabric of my opponent’s clothing, and his life points fell to 3800. He grunted and muttered, “The hell was that pain?”

            “Blue-Eyes attacks Enishi! White Lightning!” Sparks crackled behind the dragon’s fangs before firing. Enishi’s 2200 attack had dropped to 1700, his ability no longer active since one Six Samurai was destroyed. Blue-Eyes’ strike blasted through and dealt 1300 damage, lowering my opponent’s life to 2500. His chest heaved and he placed a hand over the tears in the arms of his t-shirt.

            “Am I going nuts?” he asked to no one in particular. He shook out his arms and said, “Chick, you must be as dumb as you look. You left my strongest monster on the field!”

            I ignored his obvious insult. Let my actions speak for themselves. “Exploder Dragon battles Great Shogun Shien.”

            He laughed. “Your monster only has 1000 attack to mine’s 2500! Is math not a strong suit? Guess I should’ve expected it from a chick.”

            The small, black lizard was sliced apart by the shogun’s scarlet katana. A red ball of fire in the shape of a ticking bomb was left behind. I said, “Exploder Dragon’s effect activates. I take no Battle Damage when he attacks, and the monster who destroys him is also destroyed!”

            My opponent sneered as his field was left empty. I said, “My turn is over. Since Horus destroyed one of your monsters, he levels up again! Horus LV8 takes the field!”

            Horus’s final iteration matched the Blue-Eyes in size and attack strength. A sapphire formed at the crown of his head, and a red aura surrounded him. His signature black fire oozed from his mouth with each exhale of breath.

            “Two with 3000 attack,” muttered my opponent. He drew and was expressionless. “I summon Legendary Six Samurai – Kageki in defense position. By his effect, I can special summon another Six Samurai from my hand. I choose The Six Samurai – Zanji in attack mode and end my turn.”

            Two brown-suited warriors stood with spread stances opposite me. The defensive samurai tinged blue and showed off its 2000 defense. The other had 1800 attack. Why would he choose to summon it in attack position? He must have been baiting me. I peered at my drawn card. “Blue-Eyes White Dragon, attack Zanji!”

            “You fell for that one easily,” mocked my opponent with a smirk. “I knew you would, idiot! Zanji’s effect destroys the attacking monster after battle, and instead of having him destroyed, I can choose to sacrifice Kageki instead! Both of your powerful monsters are doomed since you won’t have enough attack strength to wipe out my life points!”

            Right, his 1800 attack meant each of my 1200 points worth of damage would leave him with 100 life points and me with no monsters. However. “That makes no difference. In this battle, I use the Quick Play Spell Blind Spot Strike! This takes the defensive power of your defense position monster and adds it to the attack of one of my monsters. Kageki’s 2000 defense boosts Blue-Eyes to a grand total of 5000 attack!”

            “ _What_?” he shouted.

            “Looks like your little ‘trap’ will be your downfall! Blue-Eyes White Dragon’s attack continues!” Blue light swarmed around his samurai and melded into White Lightning. Blue-Eyes White Dragon’s powered up attack was now enough to wipe out my opponent’s life points. Electricity consumed the man, and he screamed.

            Black smoke billowed from his exploded duel disk, and my cuff returned to me. When the smoke cleared, my opponent was gone. My breath hitched. He must have fallen off the building. I flew down the ladder and ran into Kalin. He stood over the one I’d faced and whistled.

            “Nice work! Are his clothes steaming? Hah, that’s kind of cool!” He stepped over the man’s limp body. “I heard what he was saying about you. I’m surprised you didn’t talk mad shit back once you started winning.”

            “You… were watching?”

            “Weeell, I figured you’d have no problems with the duel. But. Sometimes when we have these gangs backed into a corner, they pull some nasty tricks. Looks like…” He nudged the unconscious man with a toe. “You can handle yourself.”

            “You’re not surprised I won? I mean, uh, I am.”

            “Nah, not to someone who can kick Security ass like you do,” he said with a wink. The easy confidence in his statement relieved my jarred nerves. “Besides, these guys were too easy! I finished mine way before you. The others are still inside finishing up.”

            “…It didn’t seem easy to me…”

            He set a fist on his hip and shot me a glare. “Think again. You didn’t take a single point of damage that duel, which is exactly what I’d expect from a member of Team Satisfaction.”

            The way he said it with such pride made my heart swell. I couldn’t keep a smile from slowly spreading. When it did, he laughed. I asked, “What’s so funny?”

            “Nothing. I just like your smile.” Heat crept through my cheeks, and he laughed again. “Your whole face is red!”

            “Oh? Like yours last night?” The memory made him blush again, and I laughed like he had seconds ago.

            “Hey! Having too much fun without me, huh?” Crow marched out with a smirk plastered on his face. He gave a thumbs-up, saying, “Mission success!”

            “Nice work!” Kalin exclaimed. “And the others?”

            “Agh, they’re taking too long!” Crow threw up his hands and looked to the dark sky. “Huh. Looks like it’s gonna rain.”

            I clasped my hands together. “I love the rain.”

            “Oh yeah? Why’s that?” Crow asked. I looked into his gray eyes and laughed.

            “I don’t remember!” A raindrop fell on my head. A drizzle built up. “We should probably get out of here, shouldn’t we?”

            As if on cue, Yusei walked out. He said, “That’s four of five, I’m guessing. Hey, rain! Haven’t had any in awhile.”

            I asked, “Why’s Jack taking so long?”

            Yusei rolled his eyes. “He has to make ‘the perfect win’. I swear his ego could cover all of the Satellite.”

            “At least it’d be an umbrella to work with,” I joked. I thought it was pretty cheesy but it made them laugh. A raindrop fell on my nose, and I watched it slip down and fall to the ground.

            Jack’s voice boomed, “Well, that takes care of him! That was the most amazing win to date. Really, I don’t know how I’m going to top myself. You should have been there!”

            “Oh look, Jack. The world weeps for us missing your victory,” I said. Kalin broke into a mad fit of laughter. Jack tried to act mad but couldn’t with Kalin breaking down. When Kalin finally stopped, he led us back to the hideout.

            It hit me when we were almost back. I paused and looked skyward. The rain was pouring now, and we were all drenched. Kalin noticed I had stopped. “Something wrong?”

            I could only look up at the sky. A single memory had found me: Darkness on a massive city of green glass. I ran along sundried cobblestone streets and someone screamed my name. They called again, again, again…

            “I remember my name,” I said.

            “Really? That’s great!” Kalin exclaimed. “Don’t just stand there, Shortey! Tell us what it is!”

            I flashed a huge grin at my team. “Rain. My name is Rain.”


	4. Partners

            Kalin asked me to meet him at the hideout before the crack of dawn. I rubbed at my eyes during the trek there. He was waiting for me by the cliff. Dark waves crashed beneath the cloudy sky.

            Despite the bleak morning, Kalin was full of energy. He hopped from foot to foot, and his eyes sparkled like gold with his glee. “Okay Rain, today we’re doing something different! You and I are going as partners on a special mission!”

            “Um, okay,” I muttered. “Where’s everybody else?”

            “Aw, c’mon! Can’t you be a little more excited? It’s just the two of us today!”

            I held up my hands. “Woo.”

            He tried to pout but couldn’t keep his smile away. I grinned back. “Sometimes the gangs we defeat try to reform. If that happens, we need to go back and make sure all of their resources are destroyed. So! That’s what you and I are doing today.”

            “Really? Is it safe with just the two of us?”

            “Please.” He crossed his arms. “You underestimate me. Er, us.”

            I rolled my eyes. “I think you’re overestimating us.”

            “Come on.” He took my hand. “As long as we work together, nothing can stand in our way.”

            He said it with such confidence my face flushed. Why he believed in me so much was a mystery.

            “Anyways, we’re going to Team Golem’s old hideout,” he explained. He led me along, my hand in his, like it was the most natural thing in the world. “The guys and I beat them about a week ago. I heard a couple of them have gotten a hold of duel disks, so…”

            “We’re trying to destroy those disks?”

            “Well, it would also be nice to find out their supplier.”

            “Okay.” The early morning was silent and still. I whispered, “Do you always wear those gloves?”

            He stopped and looked at our hands. His gloves were fingerless and black with a large white stripe in the middle. “Uh, yeah, I think. Why do you ask?”

            “I’m just curious.”

            “That’s…” His forehead creased. He shook his head and continued leading me. “Weird.”

            “Weird how?”

            “I’m… not used to being asked about myself.”

            I cocked my head. “Yusei, Jack, and Crow don’t?”

            “We don’t talk about stuff like that.”

            “Oh.” I stared at my feet. “What _do_ friends talk about, then?”

            “What, you don’t know? Haven’t you ever had friends before?”

            “No, I don’t think so.”

            “Hey, c’mon. I was just joking.” He glanced at me, but I was still looking at my feet. Kalin stopped and rested his hands on my shoulders. “Rain, were you serious? I didn’t mean to- I mean, I-”

            He quit when he saw my smile. I said, “It’s okay. I mean, I can’t know for sure, right? I don’t really know anything about myself. It’s just a feeling I have…”

            “Well!” He gave a thumbs-up and a huge grin. “Prepare to never have that feeling again! Now that you have me, you’ll never have to be alone. Aren’t you lucky?”

            I rolled my eyes and laughed. “What about the team?”

            “Oh, yeah. Them, too.”

            “So quick to forget them,” I pointed out with a smirk.

            “Look, the point is, you’re one of us now. We all care about you. And, whatever your memories say about you…” He scratched under his purple headband. “I can’t speak for the other guys, but I happen to like you. So I’ll be by your side no matter what.”

            “Are you saying they don’t like me?”

            “No, I meant-” He quickly looked away. “Uh, we’re at Team Golem’s hideout.”

            “What were you about to say?”

            “Shhh. We’re close to the hideout, Rain. Don’t let them hear you.”

            “But we’ve been standing here talking-”

            He stepped closer and pressed his finger against my lips. He winked, took my hand, and guided me towards the building. I tried to clear my thoughts through the fog caused by my harsh blush.

            Sunlight filtered through the bleak buildings of the Satellite. The hideout we were sneaking into was a stout building that once had columns. A worn sign out front read “C  MB R OF C MME CE.” Kalin boosted me through a window, and I pulled him after me into the second floor. The once-polished floors were covered in grime that masked the sound of Kalin’s shoes. I tried not to think about what I was stepping in while I followed him.

            He opened the door silently. It led to a balcony overlooking the large, open first floor. The railing was broken. Kalin knelt and crawled forward, beckoning me to follow. Once we were both looking over the edge, he whispered, “There they are.”

            Two men with purple hair stood over a young child. They wore red jackets with the Giant Soldier of Stone card art on the back. One was lean and tall, taller than even Kalin. He stood over the kid, who was crying. “Only two disks. Yeah, right. Show us where the rest are _or else_.”

            “I’m telling the truth, I swear!” the kid squealed, tears pouring down his face. “Th-they’re for me and my sister! Please give them back!”

            I gasped. “If we destroy the disks, then..!”

            “Rain.” Kalin’s eyes sparked. “We can give him disks after we take out those punks.”

            His reassurance wiped away my doubt. I nodded at him. Below us, the short one said, “Kick him again. I’m sure that will jog his memory.”

            “Nice to meet you gentlemen again!” Kalin rose to his full height. He stretched out a pair of cuffs and leapt off the balcony. While he fell, he tossed the cuffs, ensnaring the tall one’s duel disk. I followed his movements and caught the other Team Golem member. “I see you’re as noble as the last time we met.”

            “Shit! It’s Kessler! Wait, where’re the other three? All he brought was some chick!”

            I glared at Kalin. “Can’t I duel them myself?”

            “Now, now. What self-respecting partner would let you do that alone? We’re tagging this!” He activated his disk with a grin. “Here’s your chance, Rain. Show your leader what you’re made of!”

            Was he doing this to test me… again? That would explain why he only invited me, but it didn’t strike me as something Kalin would do. Then again, I didn’t know him very well – or anyone, for that matter.

            “We’ll lose everything again if we lose this duel,” said the short one.

            The tall one activated his disk and drew with purpose. “That _won’t_ happen.” 

* * *

**“DUEL START!”**

 

            “I’ll be going first!”

            Kalin slid a step closer to me. “Are you going to let him do that?”

            “Yes,” I said, my grin spreading. “Yes I am.”

            “I summon a monster in face-down defense position and set one face-down. Your move.”

            Kalin looked to me, and I nodded. He said, “My draw! I activate the field spell, Pandemonium! Next I’ll summon Archfiend Soldier and attack your monster.”

            “Medusa Worm may be destroyed, but its flip effect still activates, allowing me to destroy Archfiend Soldier!”

            “Thanks to Pandemonium, I add a monster to my deck with lower stars than Soldier. I’ll set a couple of face-downs and end my turn.” He had dropped Hate Buster and Archfiend’s Roar, two trap cards that wouldn’t help my deck.

            “My draw now,” said the one across from me. He grinned at his cards. “I set a face-down defense monster and end my turn.”

            I noted their use of face-down monsters. Kalin was side-eyeing me. He’d faced them before. He knew their strategy, but he wasn’t giving advice. So this was a test after all.

            The thought sent my heart racing. I mean, I was normally nervous during a duel, but this was a whole new level of anxiety. I remembered him showing me off after I’d saved him from the Securities and the rare sense of pride it’d given me. I actually… I really wanted to impress Kalin.

            “I’ll show you everything I have! Draw! I activate Future Fusion. By discarding certain cards from my deck, an incredibly powerful fusion monster will take the field in two turns.” Skyscrapers shot up behind me, and at their apex was a shining blue light. The colors twisted together to form a “zero” on the counter.

            “Next, I activate Monster Reincarnation. I replace a card in my hand with one in the grave. Then I’ll summon Kaibaman and use his ability: by sacrificing him, I can special summon my Blue-Eyes White Dragon!”

            That combo took all but two cards to pull off. I left myself with a gamble on his monster. What if it was like the last one? I bet so much that I couldn’t take that chance. “I activate Burst Stream of Destruction! This destroys every monster on your field, but my Blue-Eyes can’t attack.”

            “Thanks for that! When Sand Moth is destroyed by a card effect, he returns to the field with his attack and defense reversed. That means his attack is 2000 and defense is 1000!”

            Dammit. I’d made the wrong choice. Beside me, Kalin was suppressing a smile. Was he _laughing_ at me? “I set one card face-down and end my turn.”

            “Back to me! Your monster may look tough, but I can see all its weaknesses from here. I sacrifice Sand Moth to play a monster in face-down defense position and end my turn.”

            That’s bait if I’ve ever seen it. I should have saved my card…

            “You’re still as unimpressive as before,” Kalin said. “You’re not even worth my time. I activate Double Summon, bring Shadowknight Archfiend to the field, and sacrifice him for Skull Archfiend of Lightning!”

            Thunder shook the building as the winged skeleton flashed onto the scene. It had 2500 attack. “Attack the face-down, Skull Archfiend.”

            “I activate Waboku! My Guardian Sphinx can’t be destroyed this turn, and its flip effect activates. All of your monsters are returned to your hand.”

            “Not so fast. My Archfiend has protection against effects… as long as I have a bit of luck. One, three, or six means he stays!” A die rolled along the field and stopped on three. “Yes! I end my turn.”

            Whoopee for him. Didn’t make a difference for my Blue-Eyes. They could stall us until his luck ran out.

            “My draw now. Ah-ha! Here it is. This is the card we never got to summon last time! This card will be your end! Tributing our Sphinx lets me bring forth our best monster, Exxod, Master of the Guard!” An armored Egyptian knight towered over us. Its defense was a whopping 4000. “Every time we use one of our flip effects, you’ll take 1000 damage! How about we test it out? I activate The Shallow Grave! We both bring back a monster from our grave in face-down defense position. I choose Guardian Sphinx and flip it face-up.”

            My Blue-Eyes returned and disappeared with nary a roar to be heard. Kalin’s monster rolled its dice again, but this time it landed on four. We were out of monsters, and our life fell to 3000. “Haha! Think we’re a waste of time now, Kessler? You’ll be losing your disks this time, and all because you didn’t take this seriously.”

            Kalin crossed his arms, which strained the cuffs on his duel disk. The tall one lurched forward in response. “Oh, you’ll find that I’m taking this very seriously. You’ll find out this turn when Rain beats you.”

            Eh?

            “You Satisfaction pricks are so full of it,” muttered the tall one. “There’s no way she can beat us this turn while our strongest monster is on the field.”

            I glanced to Kalin. He wasn’t paying attention to the field. He was smiling at _me_. It wasn’t a jokey grin this time. It was a genuine, confident smile. My stomach tied in knots. I decided, yeah.

            Yeah, I would win for him.

            “You’ve forgotten something very important,” I said. “My Future Fusion card activates this turn, bringing _my_ strongest monster to the field! Fly to me, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!”

            Blue light from the skyscrapers behind me sizzled and exploded from the form of a three-headed dragon. Its triple roar shattered the windows, and the buildings were leveled in wake of its flight. It landed behind me and its three heads hovered over me. “Last time I checked, 4500 beats 4000.”

            “S-so what! That doesn’t mean the duel is over!”

            “Wrong again,” I called. “Thanks to your Guardian Sphinx, two of my Blue-Eyes have returned to my hand. With my trap Birthright, the third returns to the field. Now with my Polymerization, I can fuse them to create another Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!”

            Yet another Ultimate Dragon crashed down from the heavens to my field. The short one gaped. “T-two… at the same time…”

            “There’s one final piece to this puzzle. I activate Kalin’s trap, Archfiend’s Roar to bring Skull Archfiend back to us for one turn. Now, both Blue-Eyes, Neutron Blast!” The giant knight and its sphinx shattered, leaving their life at 2200. They both screamed when my dragons’ blasts overcame them. “Finish this with a direct attack, Archfiend!”

            Lightning crashed down. Their disks sparked and exploded, and the monsters faded. Kalin snatched his cuff out of the air with ease. I struggled to gather the wires of mine. The other two looked shaken; the tall one said, “The hell was that? You felt it, too, didn’t you? Those monster attacks actually hurt..!”

            “Y-your clothes are steaming, bro! That wasn’t some hallucination!” They looked upon us in horror.

            Kalin stepped forward, his arms still crossed. “If you go stealing duel disks again, you can bet the pain will be worse. Oh, and don’t forget you’re still a waste of my time. Your decks are pathetic even when you can summon that trash card. So, if I ever see your ugly mugs again…”

            They ran, bumping past Kalin and me. I wanted to celebrate, but his words gave me pause. Did he only bring me along because of my power? Was he… using me to scare them?

            “Woah, Rain. You blew that duel out of the water! To be honest, I was bluffing with the whole win-in-this-turn thing, but you totally pulled it off! Damn. Believing in you always pays off.”

            “R-really?”

            He laughed a little. “Yep. Yeah, really.”

            I tried to work up the courage to ask but it wouldn’t build. Kalin knelt next to the kid Team Golem was threatening. “Hey, are you alright?”

            “You guys…” The child leapt into the air. “You guys are totally awesome! Thanks for saving me!”

            “No problem! Team Satisfaction’s the name, and saving’s the game. Sorry about your duel disks, by the way. We can bring you a couple of extras if you stay right here.”

            The child’s eyes sparkled. “For real?”

            “Yeah! We’ll be right back, kiddo.” While passing me, Kalin took my hand like it was second nature. “Wonderful day for walking, isn’t it?”

            “Kalin…” I watched his stride. “Why did you really bring me today?”

            He paused and avoided my eyes. “Well, um… this is kind of hard to admit.”

            My heart sank. It was the truth. He just wanted my powers along so he could-

            “I… wanted to… have some alone time… with you.”

            I blinked. Though he was turned away, I could see his blush. He went on, “It was kind of selfish of me, because going with just the two of us could have been dangerous. But, I… I wanted to go as partners with you, Rain. I’m sorry I lied to you.”

            He noticed I was crying, and he reached his hand towards me. I brushed past it and hugged him. His back went rigid. “You… idiot! I thought- I thought you were using me to scare those guys!”

            “Oh. No way! That’s not the kind of thing a partner would do. Besides, you’re not very scary.” I kept sobbing into his shirt, and he lowered his voice to a soft whisper. “I’m sorry for scaring you. I would never do something like that to you, Rain. I swear it.”

            “Okay.” I backed off and took a few deep breaths. “I’m glad we got this time together.”

            He wiped at his mouth despite nothing being there. “W-well, I’ll try not to do it again.”

            “Why? I think we make great partners!”

            His hand dropped. “You… do?”

            “Of course!”

            He stared at me with a world of words on his mind. In the end, he took my hand and said, “Let’s go get those disks!”

            We wound through alleys chased by morning light. Puddles splashed when he led us through them, and we laughed. At the hideout, he cracked open a wooden box on the lowest floor. Inside were duel disks… a lot of them. We each carried one back. The kid was still in the main hall of the chamber building. He all but cried with happiness at the shiny gifts we had brought.

            While the kid left, Kalin threw his hands up in the air. “Yet another success in the books for Team Satisfaction! All in a morning’s work, right, Rain?”

            Before I could speak, a crash threw me off my feet. Rough voices shouted, “They’re in here!”

            Securities flooded the large hall. A force leader stepped forward. “Well, well, well! We’ve finally found the famous Team Satisfaction!.. A couple of you, anyway. If you know what’s good for you, you won’t resist.”

            Kalin and I stood back to back. I could barely see his face out of the corner of my eye. It was the first time I had ever seen him afraid. “No… How could they have found us? If we go now, the team… and my deck… if I lose all of that, then what..?”

            I took his hand in mine.

            “It’s alright, Rain,” he whispered. “We have to go with them, or else-”

            I palmed a card, and in blinding light, Blue-Eyes White Dragon roared above us. “We don’t have to do anything. White Lightning!”

            A beam shot to the sky, shattering the dome above. As debris fell on the Securities around us, I hooked my arm around Blue-Eyes’ wing. I shouted, “Hold on tight!”

            My dragon tore through the dome above and soared through the overcast sky. Dawn light peeked over the horizon, sparkling against my dragon’s white scales. I couldn’t keep down a smile as the wind tore at my hair. Blue-Eyes dropped us off at a distant alley, and I thanked him before he disintegrated.

            Kalin’s eyes were wide. I said, “Um, did I mess up, or…”

            He placed his hands on my shoulder and breathed, “You’re so amazing.”

            I blushed and looked away, but he grasped my chin and forced me to meet his shining hazel eyes. “No, you’re not going to ignore this! Rain, that was _awesome_! We crashed through and, oh my _God_ , we _flew!_ I mean, for a minute there, it actually felt like- like we were free.”

            “What do you mean? We’re free every day!”

            He pulled away, and his features darkened. “No, we’re not. As long as the gangs are around and as long as Sector Security treats us like trash, we can never be free. That’s fate for us Satellites. Live and die like dirt.”

            “But we’re going to fix that.”

            A small smile found him at my words. “I’ve never felt free a day in my life, but _you_ … you make me feel incredible. When you’re around, I really feel that way – like we can do anything.”

            I clasped my hands behind my back. “That’s what partners are for, right?”

            “Yeah…” He had that look in his eyes again, like he wanted to say something. “Um. You should rest up. Tomorrow is our next fight.”

            “I have no idea where we are.”

            “Oh, yeah! Don’t worry. I’ll take you.” On the way back to Martha’s, he said, “We don’t have to let the other guys know about exactly what went on today. Especially that whole thing with the Securities…”

            “Why?”

            Martha’s cottage was visible in the distance where he stopped. He winked at me, saying, “Today is our little secret, alright?”

            I gave a thumbs-up and winked back. “Cool!”

            He laughed and clapped me on the back. “You’re the best. I’ll see you tomorrow, partner.”

            “Okay. Partner.”

            Kalin lingered, opened his mouth to speak, closed it, and left in a hurry. I tilted my head, thinking about how he must be awfully confused about something. I guessed that made us similar.


	5. Shards of the Past

           The days and gang fights passed swiftly. Team Satisfaction never lost a duel, and it was barrels of fun. Every time we conquered a sector, Kalin filled it in on the map. Waste of a good map if you ask me but I didn’t question my leader slash partner.

            The five of us were meeting for a strategy session when Crow decided it was time for a break. Kalin protested, “Vacation? Nope. No way.”

            “Look,” Crow started, “we’ve been toughing it out every day since we started this! That’s, like, two weeks in a row! One day off won’t do any harm!”

            “I’m with Crow on this one,” Yusei said. Jack nodded his agreement.

            “Whaaat? Come on, guys! Rain, back me up on this!”

            I flipped up my palms. “Uh, just leave me out of it.”

            “Then it’s settled,” Crow decided. “See you later!”

            “See you guys,” Yusei added. Jack left without words.

            After they were gone, Kalin grunted. “Why didn’t you help me?”

            “I don’t really want to go today, either,” I admitted. “Plus, I want to… explore this place. I live here now and I don’t know anything about it!”

            “Ask me anything. I can tell you whatever you need to know.”

            “I have one question: why is this place such a dump?”

            “A long time ago, the Satellite got separated from the mainland by a big accident,” he explained. “The mainland is still great as ever, but after the explosion, they left us here to rot. They hate the Satellite. We’re not allowed to go to the City, even if there is a way. That’s why we want to make it a better place.”

            “Well, the people here aren’t all bad. Why does everyone hate them?”

            “Because they have a stereotyped view of us that’s been beaten into their heads, and no one there wants to stand up for us.”

            “What’s the City called?”

            “New Domino City,” he said with a cross between weariness and anger.

            “Is that why you don’t feel free?”

            His mouth twitched down. “Didn’t we have an agreement about personal questions?”

            “I don’t remember any agreement. I do remember you telling me to ask you anything a few seconds ago.”

            “You’re…” Kalin shook his head. “Rain, having no freedom and being a Satellite go hand in hand. You’re not free, either.”

            “It doesn’t feel that way.”

            “You’ll grow into it.”

            “Whatever,” I muttered. “I’m going now.”

            “You shouldn’t go out alone, you know. Bad things could happen,” he warned.

            “I don’t always need you to protect me,” I said.

            He snorted. “Maybe you don’t, but I figure two is better than one.”

            “I’ll come back. I have a promise to keep, after all.” He asked what I meant, but I ignored him and zoomed out of the hideout. I let myself wander, taking both main streets and alleyways.

            A faint, blue flame sparked ahead. Fire formed a person’s silhouette. It beckoned me. Well. Not like anything could be wrong with this. The blue-flamed ghost led me down a long-abandoned street. It disappeared inside a large building. I peered inside to find an abandoned concert hall. I clambered onto the stage, where an old grand piano stood. Part of the dome had fallen, so daylight spilled onto the stage.

            Something sparkled behind the instrument. It looked like a motorcycle. Its frame was made of dulled gold plating sheathed one on top of the other like stacked scales forming a dragon’s armor. A note sat on top of the seat. I unfolded it and peered at the familiar handwriting.

            “ _If you’re reading this, it means you’ve found my most treasured possessions, Rain. This duel runner and piano are yours now. Use them wisely and for good purposes! Good luck out there! From K.o.D.”_

What the hell? They knew my name and knew I would find the note. Who could have done that? Was it that fire thing? I observed the runner more closely. Yusei talked about duel runners all the time, but I’d never seen one in person. I noticed a deck already inside. When I skimmed through it, I was amazed to see it resembled my deck, but with speed spells replacing my spell cards.

            Stacks of boxes backstage caught my attention. Beyond the huge, black curtains, a cot was set out. I peeked into a couple of the boxes to find packaged food. A layer of dust had settled over them. This place hadn’t been touched in years. Then how did…

            I scanned the runner. Some dirt was caked on the frame, but it wasn’t dusty. Was that ghost following me?

 

_THEY ARE YOURS, BUT YOU MUST PROMISE_

 

            The shout filled my thoughts. I covered my ears in my hands and turned around. The azure fire soared forward. I screamed as it consumed me.

 

_ABANDON YOURSELF._

 

            I caught my breath. The fire had disappeared. My skin wasn’t burned. I stared at my pale hands. The ghost wanted a deal. I glanced around. Staying here meant I wouldn’t be burdening Martha any longer. The cost was… abandoning myself, whatever that meant. I’m sure it was worth saving Martha some worry. Without memories, I didn’t have much to abandon, anyway.

            I rolled the cot next to the piano and observed the concert hall. There weren’t many seats left, but the front and back rows remained. A section of wood at the front of the stage was damp from rainfall. When I glanced through the hole in the dome, I noticed the sky was orange. I didn’t want to get caught out too late, so I left the way I came. I must have taken a wrong turn because I ended up in front of a half-finished wooden bridge.

            “Lost?” said a familiar voice. Crow smirked at me.

            “Hey, Crow! Do you live here?”

            “Yeah, right over there.” He pointed behind him. A young girl and boy were playing Duel Monsters on a mat in front of an awning. “Those kids live with me, too. Hey, they probably want to meet you! Come on!”

            Crow introduced me to Hiro, the boy, and Yuki, the girl. When he did, the little boy’s eyes lit up. “Really? No way! You’re awesome!”

            “Crow told us all about you,” Yuki said.

            I twirled a strand of white hair around my finger. “Th-thanks, guys. It’s only thanks to my team, though.”

            “You know, you should totally duel me! I’m not that good, but you could help me!” The kid’s eyes looked so hopeful that I didn’t know if I could turn him down. Luckily, Crow helped.

            “Now’s not the time, Hiro. Sorry. Being a part of Team Satisfaction unfortunately means we’re always busy. Alllways.” Crow rolled his eyes. “Let’s head out, Rain. I’m ready for Kalin to chew us out. Again.”

            While we were walking, my thoughts lingered on the horizon. “Hey Crow, what’s with that bridge sticking out there? It looks like it’s heading to the City, but Kalin told me we weren’t supposed to go there.”

            “Oh, you’re talking about Daedalus Bridge. Y’see, a long time ago a mysterious man that nobody knew came to the coast. Every single day, without fail, he would gaze across the water. One day he stopped coming… and returned weeks later with materials for a bridge – one that would connect the Satellite with the City.

            “At first, people laughed at him. They said that he would never finish it. He ignored them and kept going. His determination inspired them to help. That’s when Sector Security noticed and ordered them to stop building the bridge. Their threats got to the Satellites, so they stopped working. The man, though, kept on.

            “He became a wanted man but dodged Sector Security easily. He got caught in a jam once, though. Securities cornered him by the bridge. He had two choices: rot in jail… or become a hero. He chose to become a hero. He got on his duel runner and raced along Daedalus Bridge. Then, when he catapulted off of it, wings spread from his runner and he flew to the other side, escaping into the City. Now he’s a legend, a symbol of hope for all of the Satellite!”

            I gaped. “His runner had _wings_? That’s so cool!”

            “Hell yeah it is! Hey, don’t tell anyone, but…” Crow’s gray eyes bounced around the empty street we walked. He lowered his voice, saying, “I’m working on making one like his.”

            “What? That’s sick! I’m guessing he’s your hero?”

            “Of course he is! Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always wanted to be like him.”

            “I bet you’ll get there one day.”

            “Oh, yeah?” He smiled. “You believe in me, Rain?”

            “Duh I believe in my teammate!” I set my fists on my hips. “I bet you’ll become a greater legend than that man was.”

            His grin widened. “Thanks, Rain. Welp, here we are. Brace yourself for the good ol’ Kalin scolding.”

            It was scary how right he was. When we entered, the rest of Team Satisfaction was already there, as expected. Kalin spotted us first. “Where have you two been? We’ve been waiting for hours!”

            “It’s only been a few minutes,” Yusei pointed out.

            “Shut up, Yusei,” Kalin hissed. “We have to make them feel bad!”

            “You’re doing a bang-up job, buddy! I’ve got enough guilt to last me at least two weeks,” Crow said. Kalin pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Crow pushed past him to reach the table. “With all the work mister slave driver put us through, there are only four zones left to conquer, right?”

            “That’s right!” Kalin took his place over the map. “A, B, C, and D. Tomorrow, we’ll be going after zone D. The group here are called the Magician’s Four and, as the name suggests, there are only four of them. That means that either all of us won’t get to duel or one of us has to stay behind.”

            “I’ll stay behind,” I chirped. “I have some things to do, anyway.”

            “What? You can’t be serious, Rain!” Pleading shone in Kalin’s eyes, but I gave him a two-fingered salute and left them to formulate a plan. I ran over to Martha’s. She was tending her garden.

            “Martha!”

            She glanced up from the goldenrods and smiled. “Welcome home. Have you had a good day?”

            “An excellent one, yeah! I have some news to break, though. I found a place to stay, so you won’t have to worry about me anymore!”

            “You did? I don’t mind taking care of you. In fact, I enjoy your company! Who will I exchange sewing tips with? Who will I have adult conversations with?”

            She was making this difficult. I cleared my throat and couldn’t meet her eyes when I spoke. “I’ll come back to visit, I swear! You’ve been so kind to me, and you’re right. We always have the best conversations. I’ll miss living with you, and the kids, too! Good luck, Martha.”

            We exchanged our regards, and I sprinted to my new home. I immediately checked the runner. I pulled a polishing rag from the boxes and scrubbed away at the bike. The dirt didn’t take much elbow grease to remove. The frame’s bronze color sparkled after I was finished.

            Something on the floor beyond the runner caught my eye. It was a helmet the same color as the runner. The eye guard was black, so my eyes were only visible when the light hit it just right. I’d heard that the way you duel on these things is by putting your duel disk into them. The seat was a perfect fit. The handles and screen were underneath the plating. A cardholder was above the screen.

            Below it, a duel disk was already in place. It was similar to mine, but there was no place where you could fit it onto your arm. The edges were wickedly sharp. It was a lighter blue than mine, and the lining was a duller navy. The card zones were yellow and lit up a bright green when in use.

            The strange feeling that I’d seen this runner before haunted me. The color scheme, too, matched something else very familiar to me. If the runner belonged to somebody else, why would I have seen it before?

            The sharp duel disk caught my eye again. A flash of a long lost memory swelled in my mind’s eye. Crimson blood stained the scythe, which was stuck on the arm of a turquoise-suited soldier. He held a squirming human in his claw-like gauntlet. Wildfire roared in the background, highlighting the fear on the human’s face as the soldier sliced open her neck with the duel disk.

            I gasped and clutched at my chest. My surroundings dragged me back to reality: the daylight streaming onto the stage, the shine on my runner, and the duel disk adorning it that was used as a weapon in my vision. Did that really happen? Why was it on my runner as a duel disk if it was a scythe? There was so much blood, but…

            That felt normal. Normal? What the hell was wrong with me? I smacked my cheeks. Abandon yourself, the ghost had said. I decided I would keep moving forward. The random memories would hold me back.

            The next morning, I thought of a million excuses to use the runner. I should test it out to see if it still worked, or I needed to show it to someone so they could help me use it. If I revealed it, the chances of it being stolen shot up. I frowned at the thought.

            I started toward the hideout but remembered no one would be there. I figured I would head over to Crow’s place and see what Hiro and Yuki were up to. On the way, I heard shouts and the roar of fleeting engines. I broke into a sprint for fear of the worst.

            At Crow’s house, Yuki sobbed on the ground and Hiro was nowhere in sight. I knelt beside her. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

            “One of the gangs,” she explained through her tears. “They asked for Team Satisfaction, but after we told him you were gone… they took him! They took Hiro!”

            A new burst of tears flowed down her cheeks. I set my jaw. “I’ll be right back.”

            The alleys were a blur as I dashed to my stage. I put on my helmet, checked the deck in the runner, and started the engine. Relief washed over me as it roared to life. I turned it around and sped back to Crow’s. I stopped when I saw Yuki still on the ground.

            “Yuki! Where did they take him?” The sight of me shocked her out of her tears.

            “T-To the B.A.D. Area. Where did you get that?” I never answered her question. I sped off towards the worst area in the Satellite. Both Martha and Kalin had warned me never to go there, but Hiro’s safety won out.

            The runner was incredibly fast. The wind tearing at my hair and screaming in my ears was so, so familiar. I shook my head, trying to focus. In the B.A.D., I drove along the edge of the large crater that was the Area’s trademark. Ahead, a man stood in my path. I kept on, expecting him to move. When I realized he wouldn’t, I turn-braked, skidding to a stop right in front of him.

            “Hey! What’s the idea? I have somewhere to be!” I glared at the man, but I didn’t show him my eyes. He had white blonde hair in a ponytail down his back and tanned skin. Red marks were painted down his face. What caught my attention, though, were his eyes.

            Where they should have been white, they were pitch black like his pupils. His irises were a silvery blue. He had beefy arms and gloves on his hands. His black cloak had red symbols traced on them like veins, and his shirt and pants were of similar design.

            “You shouldn’t be here,” he threatened. His voice was deep and frightening. “It is not your time yet.”

            “What’s that supposed to mean?”

            “Humph. I know why you’re here, Rain. I know the secret of your past.”

            The blood drained from my face. “Wh-What?”

            “…I’ll let you in on something. One of these days, I will take away everything you love. I’m going to ruin your life.” A grin split his face. “Before I do, though, you will know why you deserve it.”

            He disappeared in a shower of purple flames. I shook off a chill. That freak knew my name, and he knew about my amnesia. That fire, too – was it some kind of magic trick? I shut my eyes tight. Priorities, priorities, and mine was Hiro.

            I tightened my thighs on the runner’s seat and followed the sound of other engines. At its source, I found a group of members from a gang we’d already defeated. They had Hiro bound by ropes and unconscious.

            I sped out into the open. There were six of them, so I was heavily outnumbered. But I wasn’t afraid. I stood and removed my helmet. My hair tumbled over my shoulders.

            “Well, well, well, if it isn’t Kessler’s shadow!” One of them stepped off. He was one of three that had a runner. “Come to get your little friend back, I’m guessing?”

            …Shadow?

            “Hahaha! I can’t believe the girl came alone! Did your other friends ditch you?” He slowly walked up to me as he was saying it, so I punched him as hard as I could in his gut. He recoiled, and I introduced his face to my right hook. He collapsed. My hand throbbed.

            “I guess she’s a feisty one,” the one with the second runner joked. “Get her.”

            They all charged me. I decided it was time to even the odds. I swiped a card off my deck. Exploder Dragon materialized in the middle of the gang. Its scales tinged red and the dragon blew up. The guys were thrown in all directions. Their clothes were singed. None of them twitched.

            The first gang member stumbled to his feet. He muttered, “The shadow… the rumors are true. Y-you’re a demon!”

            I had no incentive to argue. He tossed a fearful glance around and grabbed a lead pipe from the ground and charged me. I baseball slid at his feet, and he tumbled over me. I stole his weapon and aimed to bash the back of his skull.

            “Rain! What are you doing?”

            I met Hiro’s brown eyes. He was squirming against his bonds and watching my every move. I dropped the pipe. What had I been about to do?

            A fist slammed into my jaw. I tasted blood, and my vision fuzzed. I pressed my hand onto my deck and prayed. The gang member knelt on me, burying his knee in my gut. I struggled for breath.

            A massive shadow fell over us. The Blue-Eyes White Dragon snapped up the man’s jacket. The dragon tossed him away like a piece of trash. The Blue-Eyes observed me with the tilt of concern in its eyes.

            “Th-thank you,” I muttered. My dragon loosed a gentle growl. I observed the landscape and spotted no movement. I ran to Hiro’s side.

            “That was totally awesome!” he exclaimed. “You’re such a good fighter, and your monsters are amazing! You were all like bam and bam, and they dropped like flies! And, and…”

            I untied his bonds while he tried to find the colorful words to explain what had happened. I could only smile. “Let’s go home.”

            I brought him over to the runner and gave him the helmet. He’d need it more if anything happened. I revved the engine and zoomed off, hoping that I’d never have to return to the B.A.D. I was glad when I pulled up to Crow’s place. Hiro got off and handed me my helmet, which I promptly put on. Yuki ran out and tackled Hiro in a hug, tears still streaming down her face.

            “Don’t ever worry me like that again! You only got captured because you stood up for me,” she muttered.

            “It’s okay, Yuki! Rain saved me! She beat up those guys no problem! She’s the best fighter ever.”

            Yuki ran over and wrapped her arms around my midsection. I flinched thanks to the bruise blooming there. She was blissfully ignorant. “Oh, thank you so much! I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t shown up.”

            I flashed an awkward smile. “I was, uh, just trying to do what my team taught me. I need you guys to do me a favor, though. You can’t tell anyone that I have a duel runner, okay? Sorry, but it’s kind of a secret.”

            “Aw, but that was the coolest part,” Hiro complained.

            “Shush! It’s okay, Rain. We won’t tell anyone.”

            I thanked them, bounced back onto the runner, and sped back home. At the stage, I messed around with the piano. I tried to set my jaw but a sharp pain prevented me. I tasted blood when I licked my lips. Shit. I must have dislocated it. I grabbed my chin and popped it back into place. When it did, I almost screamed with pain. A tear slipped from my eye and hit the keys. I breathed in and out a few times before continuing.

            I placed my fingers on the piano. I tried a few notes but they sounded… wrong. It needed a tune-up. I could take care of that.

            Wait, I could? Oh, goddammit. I kept getting these glimpses of who I used to be, but they never stuck around. I shoved away from the piano bench. Frustration kept me from playing any longer.

            I started back toward the hideout, guessing my team would be finished. The sea was so calm it mirrored the twilight. In the main room, only Kalin remained. He was watching the sunset. I said, “I thought you had forgotten how beautiful it was.”

            “I guess you reminded me.” He turned and his eyes widened when they landed on me. He closed the space between us, held my chin, and brushed my bruise with his thumb. His touch was so- so… gentle. My face flushed. “What happened?”

            “It was nothing. I fell.”

            Kalin’s hand dropped. “You fell. Directly on your face.”

            “Um, uh, y-yeah?”

            “Have you never lied before, or what?”

            “Maybe you could teach me!”

            “There aren’t lessons for lying, you just do it! Look, Rain, please tell me what happened. Did you get in a fight or something?”

            Before I could answer, Crow burst in. “Rain! You saved Hiro while we were gone? You went to the B.A.D. Area?”

            I clenched my teeth and avoided my leader’s burning gaze. Damn you, Crow… Kalin exclaimed, “You did _what_? I told you not to go there!”

            “He was in trouble,” I explained. “They kidnapped him because they were looking for us!”

            “Why don’t you just tell me what happened.”

            “I can do that,” Crow answered. He explained my fight, but there were no traces of my runner. The kids had kept their promise. Kalin observed me with equal parts irritation and admiration.

            “…I guess it’s good you can defend yourself. Crow, can you tell Jack and Yusei that we can skip over Sector C? Luckily for us, they’ve offered to surrender and leave the district alone. We’re after B tomorrow, so we’ll meet here early.”

            “Sure. See you then, I guess.”

            Before Crow left the hideout, have gave me a look with his eyebrows raised. Kalin pinched the bridge of his nose once he was gone. “Goddammit, Rain! Why would you ignore literally everything I told you? You can’t just go into that area! You don’t know what all could’ve happened to you!”

            “I don’t need you breathing down my neck all the time. I had to save Hiro!”

            “You could’ve waited for your team.”

            “I…” I dropped my hands to my sides and sighed. “You’re right. Sometimes I- I forget I have you all to back me up. I’m used to being alone.”

            “Rain… you’re definitely _not_ alone. In fact, I… I don’t know what I’d do without you,” he said, looking down. He faked a cough. “So… you’re not staying at Martha’s anymore?”

            I couldn’t tell him about the stage yet. I didn’t want to keep secrets from Kalin, but the duel runner was tied to my memory. If he wanted me to use it for Team Satisfaction and something happened to it… No, I couldn’t lose it. “I, uh, found a place.”

            “Lying again,” he grumbled.

            I flinched. Was I really so obvious?

            “…Whatever. We all have secrets. Hey, want to watch the sunset with me by the water? There’s… something I want to tell you.”

            “S-sure.” My stomach tied in knots. He’d been acting differently… Did I screw up badly? Would he kick me off the team? My panic increased as I followed him out to the rocky cliff by the ocean. He remained standing. I wanted to stand by him but my legs had started to tremble. I sat with my legs dangling over the edge.

            We watched the fading light sparkling on the waves in silence. I twiddled my thumbs, curled strands of hair around my finger, or anything to keep myself busy. If he did kick me off, what would I have left? No, I couldn’t…

            The last light of the sun lit up his hazel irises. He inhaled and started, “Rain-”

            Panic crushed me. I burst into tears and sputtered, “I-I-I’m sorry I messed up! P-please, don’t be mad! I w-won’t do it again, okay? I swear!”

            “Not this again. Don’t… cry,” he sighed, his voice a soft whisper. He dropped to his knees, held my face in his hands, and wiped his thumbs beneath my eyes. “I’m not angry. I never was, and I’m sorry I made you think so. I’m _scared_.”

            His hands fell, and his shoulders drooped. I sniffled. “You… you’re not afraid of anything.”

            “I am for you.”

            “That doesn’t make any sense,” I said. “I’m not worth that. I’m not worth anything! All I keep doing is messing up, dragging you down, worrying you-”

            He took my right hand in both of his own. There was almost laughter in his words: “Rain. How could you possibly believe that?”

            My heart pricked at the way he spoke, like the mere idea was preposterous, ridiculous. “I’m not sure. It’s like I have this voice in my head constantly telling me I can’t do anything right. I’m sorry.”

            “You don’t have to be sorry.” He let go and snapped his fingers. “And whatever that voice says, it’s a complete liar.”

            “Th-thanks,” I mumbled. I scratched the back of my head and said, “I don’t exactly love myself, I guess.”

            “I do.”

            The edge of the sun’s disk sank beneath the crashing waves. A perfect twilight settled. Streaks of red melded to purple, which shifted to the darkness approaching from New Domino City in the east.

            The dark was so far away from where we stood. The remaining light was caught in his eyes, which held my own with steady determination. I, however, could not breathe. My voice was more like a mouse’s squeak: “Um, what?”

            Kalin’s smile faltered. His eyes widened, and he stared at the concrete.  He muttered under his breath, “Oh, shit, did I say that out loud? Shit. I have to go. I- I have to.”

            My partner pushed to his feet and broke into a brisk walk away. The air was colder without his energy. I wrapped my arms around myself and stared at the now-dark waves.

            Um.

            What just happened?


	6. Complications

            “Team Dirty Works,” Kalin announced to the team, “rulers of Sector B. They hide out in an old bowling alley. We’re storming the entrance together. Yusei and Rain will search inside while Crow, Jack, and I guard the entrance. Let’s head out!”

            We were gathered in the hideout’s main room, and I lingered in the corner. He… paired me with someone else. Kalin sprinted out. Crow ran after him, and Jack struggled to keep up, grumbling all the while.

            Yusei hung back. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him watching me. He asked, “Something on your mind? You’re usually right behind Kalin.”

            “I’m just… a little confused,” I muttered. “But it’s not as important as this. I’m your partner today, and I have your back.”

            Yusei grasped his chin. “You sure you don’t want to talk?”

            “Maybe later,” I said. I started towards the exit and paused. “Um, thanks. For asking.”

            “It’s what friends do.”

            I was able to smile at his words. We had to be silent the rest of the way to not attract attention. The old bowling alley was tucked into a corner of Sector B. Crow was waiting outside, and he waved us in. We dashed through the lobby and past a set of double doors. Yusei was in first, and I watched him. While he traversed one of the alleys, I saw a silver glint out of the corner of my eye.

            I dove at his waist and we crashed onto the wooden floor. I heard a _boom_ behind us. Concrete debris was scattered where Yusei had been standing. “You… you saved me, Rain! Good eye.”

            He looked like he had something else to say, but another voice cut us off. “Dammit, the shadow came! Do you know how much time it took to set that up? A long time, that’s how much!”

            “No shit,” another one said. He crawled out from the darkness at the end of the middle alley. “I thought Kessler’s shadow was a myth.”

            What’s with this whole shadow thing? Wait a second. These two tried to kill my friend, and they only complain about the work they lost? I grit my teeth in a snarl. Yusei palmed his cuffs and said, “I’ll take this one. You take the alley.”

            I slipped out one of my cuffs, attached it to my disk, and ran towards the forward. I tossed the other end at his arm, and it clicked into place.

* * *

 

**“DUEL START!”**

 

            I spat, “You first.”

            He reluctantly drew his cards. “I activate the field spell Umi! Now, I summon Kaiser Sea Horse in attack position, set one face-down, and end my turn.”

            I swiped off a card, which was noticeably heavier than the rest. A strange aura emanated from it. It was called the Seal of Orichalcos, a field spell that couldn’t be destroyed, added a back row of monsters that couldn’t be attacked if there were monsters in the front, and added 500 attack points to my monsters. The power it leaked felt as familiar to me as the duel disk on my arm. “I activate the Seal of Orichalcos!”

            “Don’t think so. Mystical Space Typhoon!” The wind whipped up, but the Seal wasn’t blown away. It continued to set up and destroyed his field spell. “What the hell? What is this?”

            “The power of the Orichalcos.” The Seal was bright green and its activation shot the same light from the symbols on my duel disk. It was a six-pointed star inside a ring. Symbols outside the first ring matched the strange writing on my disk. The sight of it gave me an unnatural giddiness. “I summon Vanguard of the Dragon in attack mode. His ability lets me send a dragon from my hand to the grave to increase his attack by 300. Strike down his Kaiser!”

            My monster originally had 1700 attack points, which rose to 2200 due to the Seal and 2500 thanks to his effect. The cobalt, scale-skinned lizard bashed the opposing sea warrior with his shield. The damage dealt blew through to my opponent, who grabbed his stomach. His life fell to 3200. I giggled and said, “I’ll finish off by placing a face-down.”

            “Shit..! This pain…” He drew his card. “I summon Familiar Possessed – Eria in defense mode and end my turn.”

            “What’s wrong? You seem so scared! I activate the trap card Call of the Haunted to special summon the Blue-Eyes White Dragon from the grave in attack position!” Blue-Eyes’s attack grew to 3500 as the Seal appeared on its forehead. “I also summon Luster Dragon. Destroy his defending monster.”

            Sapphire flames consumed Eria. “Now, Vanguard and Blue-Eyes, attack and end this!”

            My opponent was finished off by a flash of claws digging into his skin along with a blast of lightning singing him. He grunted and recoiled, fear twisting his features. I didn’t have to attack with _both_ of my monsters to end the duel, but… he had tried to hurt my teammate. I scowled as the Seal of Orichalcos dissolved around me and my disk retracted.

            “The hell? Those attacks really hurt! The shadow is real!” He pushed past me and bolted out the door. I figured he wasn’t my problem anymore. Yusei had won his duel, and the gang member sprinted away.

            “Simple enough,” I stated while strolling up to him. “I’m guessing yours was, too, since you’re… you.”

            He smiled at me. “Oh, yeah. I owe you one, though, since you saved me from their setup. I should’ve expected them to pull something dirty.”

            “I’m sure it’ll catch up to them eventually,” I said, “one way or the other.”

            “As long as Kalin, Jack, and Crow quite literally catch them, yeah.” We entered the lobby to find my opponent and another guy I didn’t recognize tied up. Jack stood next to him with his arms crossed. Kalin held Yusei’s opponent down and wrestled with the rope’s knot.

            Someone patted me on the back, and I staggered forward. Crow said, “Nice work, you two! We rounded ‘em all up. They had triggers for nasty traps around, but I disarmed ‘em like I do, y’know.”

            “I wasn’t so lucky,” Yusei muttered. “If Rain hadn’t pushed me out of the way, I’d be in trouble right now.”

            Jack thinned his eyes. “You know, we can keep them a little longer than we need to.”

            “Please, no!” one begged. “I’m sorry about the trap, okay? We didn’t mean it!”

            Kalin finished tying the gang member’s wrists and shoved him against the floor for good measure. His grin was malicious. “A little late for that, isn’t it?”

            “Cut it out,” Yusei scolded. “If we do something like that, we’re no better than them. We’re here for unity and unity alone.”

            Crow said, “Yeah, c’mon, guys. Let’s celebrate! Forget these jerks. All that matters is Yusei’s okay.”

            I muttered an agreement because Yusei’s argument made sense, but a feeling nagged at me.

            A feeling they hadn’t gotten what they deserved.

            “I’d love to, but I have some things I need to take care of,” Kalin said. He brushed at his shoulder, and I swore I caught a quick glance at me. “I’ll come back and take care of them later. For now, I have to go.”

            _“I have to go.”_

            Kalin was gone, running away through the bleak Satellite streets. I scratched at my temple and stared at my feet. They carried me outside while my mind drifted.

            “What’s up with him?” Crow lingered beside me. His hands were stuffed in his pockets. Yusei was right behind him, and Jack was off to who-knows-where.

            Yusei asked, “Is this what you wanted to talk about?”

            “Um, yeah.” I grasped my elbow. “I think he’s avoiding me.”

            “Ohhh, duh-rama!” Crow sang.

            “That’s odd. He’s usually the one to run _into_ things, not away from them,” Yusei commented. “What happened?”

            “Is this about the cat thing?” Crow asked.

            Yusei frowned. “We’re not supposed to bring up the cat thing.”

            “You guys know about the cat thing?”

            “We all saw the cat thing!” Crow said. “Kalin beat that dude’s ass! It was awesome! Er, not what happened to the cat, though. Not awesome.”

            “Was it okay?” Yusei asked.

            “Yeah,” I mumbled. “Yeah, the cat was okay.”

            Crow grumbled, “There’s nothing I hate more than a sore loser who takes it out on someone – or some _thing_ – else. Like, it’s only one step further until he loses a duel and beats up a kid because of it.”

            “Or he could have targeted Rain instead,” Yusei said.

            Crow flopped his hand, saying, “Pffft! He wouldn’t _dare_ when Kalin’s standing right there. Rain’s practically his-”

            His mouth shut abruptly. Yusei sighed, cupped his forehead, and shook his head. I said, “His _what_?”

            “His, uh, his- his shadow! That’s what I meant! What I was saying. Yeah, that. They’re calling you as much, aren’t they?”

            My head tilted. “Why am I called that?”

            “You and he were inseparable,” Yusei said, “and you don’t talk much. Anyway, I’m sure Kalin will come around. Give it some time.”

            “Thanks,” I muttered. “Really. Thanks, you guys.”

            “Enough yapping!” Crow said. “I said we’d celebrate, and I meant it. Cup ramen for everyone! I’ll load up the TV, too. It can pick up waves from the City, so we can watch some duels. It’ll keep the kids busy and _not_ begging us to duel them, in any case.”

            “…Um. What’s ramen? And… TV?”

            Crow laughed and clapped my shoulder. After watching my unchanging expression, he said, “You’re serious? Ramen’s a noodle dish. A super common one. TV’s are, like… entertainment. Both of em are so common, it’s easy to get a hold of em even in the Satellite. I don’t get you, Rain. You remember dueling perfectly but somehow you let ramen slip by.”

            “Could be she never knew about them in the first place,” Yusei said.

            “…Why do you two keep talking as though I’m not here?”

            “Weeell, you don’t have much of a… presence,” Crow said. “Oh! Shadow. I totally get it. Anyway, let’s get going.”

            They started towards the Daedalus Bridge, but I was rooted. “What about Jack? Does he like rah-min?”

            “Ramen,” Crow corrected. “Jack loves the stuff, but he’s going through a loner phase right now. It happens on and off for him. He’ll go long stretches without wanting to spend time with anyone then go back to normal.”

            “You know a lot about him,” I said.

            “The three of us grew up together,” Yusei explained. “We were fosters at Martha’s. Kalin told you about the Zero Reverse, right? The natural disaster that separated the City from the Satellite? Our parents were all caught in the blast, so we were blessed to have Martha pick us out and raise us like her own.”

            “I wouldn’t exactly call her a saint, though.” Crow raised his eyebrows and nudged me with an elbow. I laughed, and he joined me. When we reached his place, Hiro and Yuki pleaded for duels like Crow had predicted. He set an odd device on the counter, and a holographic screen appeared. A massive dueling arena was displayed. Two duelists raced duel runners along an oval track. Their monsters flew next to them. The sight made me long to taste the wind.

            Yusei appeared at my side. He held a cup of Styrofoam marked with bright colors in one hand and a napkin in the other. “It’s probably hot, so you might need this. I wouldn’t know because of my gloves.”

            I wrapped the napkin around it and said, “Thanks.”

            Yusei returned a moment later with a cup of his own. I started after he sat next to me. The flavors were wonderful and strong, but the salt was a bit much for me. Crow slid out in front of us, slurping from a cup, and said, “Great, right? I made it all myself! I’m quite the cook.”

            “You literally just poured water in a cup and stuck it in the microwave,” Yusei stated.

            “Sure, yeah, but I did it all myself!”

            I giggled. “It’s amazing. Could I have another?”

            “Coming right up!”

            After he served me a second round, I made an excuse about having to leave. Crow promised to make it for me again sometime, and Yusei once again assured everything would turn out alright. I thanked them both again and wound through the Satellite streets. I slipped into a structure draped in ripped scarlet carpets and banners. Rows of worn, wooden benches faced a dais. Atop the highest point sat a throne. I approached the gentleman sitting in it with his eyes closed. One of his fists clenched. “ _What_ are you doing here?”

            “Um, h-hi, Jack.” His violet eyes opened and sharpened on me. I held out the cup I had brought. “Crow made you some rah-min. Well, okay, not you, technically, but I thought you’d want some. They said you like it a lot.”

            His gaze remained pinned on me. I managed to properly regret every moment of my life up to that point in the seconds he stared at me. Jack Atlas rose from his throne, swiped the cup from my hands, and sat again. “You can go now.”

            “Oh. Well, I was also wondering if-”

            “You can go,” he repeated with force.

            “Uh, right, okay. Bye. See you!”

            At the exit, Jack called, “Rain.”

            “Uh, yeah?”

            “…I appreciate it.”

            I grinned on the way out and pumped a fist in the air when I was sure he wouldn’t see. The sun dipped, and by the time I was near my street, night had fallen. The full moon and accompanying stars lit my way.

            While walking by one of the abandoned buildings littering the area, I heard an odd clanging sound. Being the curious soul I am, I decided to investigate. The room was dark, so I could only see where the moon’s reflected light penetrated the cracked ceiling. I called, “Hello?”

            No answer. I crept forward, a tinge of fright heightening my pulse. I stepped into the light. A sharp pain exploded against the back of my skull. I collapsed.

            “Too easy,” a voice said. “Those rumors aren’t true. The shadow’s a joke.”

            I pushed myself to my hands and knees then half ran, half crawled to the nearest wall. I slammed against it and tried to hold myself up. I looked back, but my vision was corroded. The shape and voice of the predator matched the man I had dueled earlier today. Shadows scurried in the background.

            Shitshitshit. They must have escaped. I glanced at my left wrist, but my duel disk wasn’t there. The thing had a mind of its own. A wave of nausea threatened me, so I lowered my head. Rough hands grabbed me by the shoulders and thrust me against the wall. I squirmed but couldn’t break free. His eyes glinted with a wolfish gleam. My vision blurred and body fell limp.

            “We’re gonna have fun with you. You and those Satisfaction roaches’ll pay.” His friend’s grunt stole his attention. His grip on me loosened. I tried to pull away, but I was too weak. I heard a _crack_ and he ragdolled.

            Kalin caught me before I fell. He held me in his arms so my head pressed against his chest. I heard every rapid beat of his heart. “Are you okay? You’re shaking. I took care of them. You’ll be fine; I swear it.”

            “Y-you saved me,” I murmured. “ _You_. I th-thought you hated me or something.”

            “That’s not it at all,” he whispered. “I’ve been a complete jackass. This is my fault. If I hadn’t run, they never would’ve had a chance to come after you. I’m so sorry.”

            I remained awestruck. He was here, holding me, and I felt safer than I thought possible. “W-when the cat thing happened, you s-said hugs are weird.”

            “Yeah. You don’t think so, though, and that’s what matters the most to me.”

            My breathing hitched. “You… you’re like- my guardian angel.”

            “Tch. Not after I…” His hold on me tightened ever so slightly. “From now on, I will be. I swear it, partner: I’ll be your guardian angel, and I’ll protect you from anything, everything. You can count on me.”

            I craned my neck to meet his eyes despite the splitting pain in the base of my skull. “I will. Which means you have to carry me home.”

            “Carry you? Is that, like, okay?”

            “ _Yes_ , it’s okay! Why else would I ask you?”

            “Okay, Jesus. You don’t have to be so brutal about it.” He hooked his arm under my knees and hoisted me up. “Like that?”

            I wrapped my arms around his neck and said, “Yeah, just like that. My place is another street down. The big one with the dome.”

            He carried me past the threshold. One black door remained where a set of double doors used to be. He ascended the steps to the stage. Silver light filtered through the broken ceiling. Luckily I’d left my runner in the shadows behind the piano. Kalin gently lowered me onto my cot and asked, “Where were you hit?”

            “Uh, on the back of my head.”

            “Goddamn cowards, only way they could keep you from kicking their asses.” He stormed towards the exit. “That’s it. I’m going back, and I’ll show them what-”

            “Oh.”

            Kalin stopped in his tracks. “What was _that_?”

            “What?”

            He spun on his heel and crossed his arms. I was laying on my back and didn’t bother to move since I knew it would cause pain in my spine. I could only watch him with one eye. He said, “Your ‘oh’ sounded awfully sad.”

            “I… guess I was kind of hoping you would stay.”

            Kalin stared at me for several moments, his hand covering his mouth. He strode forward and sat with his back against my cot’s legs. He draped his forearm over his knee. The moonlight shifted the color of his hair to silver. He scratched under his headband, and his fingers fidgeted with his jeans. I asked, “Are you angry?”

            “No,” he said immediately. “Well, not at you, if you think so. I am at them, obviously, but mostly at myself.”

            “I don’t think it was your fault,” I whispered.

            “It’s _all_ my fault. I was such an idiot to rope you into this. It only hit me when I saw you in pain yesterday, and now I’ve just made it worse. It hurts me, too. It hurts so goddamned much to see you like this. So. I had some trouble coming to terms with the fact it only happened to you _because of me_.”

            I clutched my own shirt. The black fabric bunched up in my fist. “I’m here because I want to be, not because you made some mistake.”

            “You wanted to be nearly knocked out?”

            I pushed up on my elbow. Stars flashed behind my eyes after the pain, but I grit my teeth and rolled to my side. My white hair spilled over my shoulder and onto the pillow. After my breathing steadied, I said, “That’s not what I mean, and you know it. I like being on Team Satisfaction. I like dueling other gangs and helping the Satellite. I like hanging out with Jack, Crow, and Yusei. Most of all, I like being close to you. I like being your partner. I like it when you look at me as if I can do anything, and when you lead me places, and when you go forward like nothing in the world can stop you. So- so there’s no way I’m letting a couple of scrapes keep me down. You taught me better.”

            Silence settled. Kalin was still as a statue. After a moment, his shoulders began to shake. I almost asked if he was okay before I realized he was quietly laughing. He threw his head back, and moonlight illuminated his grin. “I don’t know why I still let you surprise me, Rain. I should expect you to be perfect.”

            My chest constricted, and heat flushed my face. He watched with amusement and said, “Is it crazy hot in here all of a sudden, or is it just you?”

            “Sh-shut up!” When he laughed, I couldn’t help but smile. “I missed you.”

            “It was only a day.”

            “A long one!”

            “You’re pretty dramatic, aren’t you?”

            I pouted. “This coming from the guy who literally ran away from me.”

            “Hey, I never said I wasn’t.”

            “…Kalin?” He peered at me. My mouth was set in a thin line. I knew exactly what I wanted to say and how I wanted to say it, but the words refused to find freedom or breath. I swallowed air, shut my eyes, and blurted, “D-did you really mean it when you said you loved me?”

            I wasn’t brave enough to open my eyes again. The ensuing silence worsened my cowardice. Finally, he sighed. “You’re a real problem, you know that, Rain?”

            My heart sank. I lowered my head and avoided looking at him. He went on: “See, I like my privacy. So. It’s a real problem when you’ve taken up all the space in my head. It’s an issue when I can’t stop thinking about your kickass dueling, adorable blush, or, hell, how soft your lips are. You… are a real problem.”

            I ignored everything, the pain, the hesitation, the fear; I leaned over him, holding his temples, and kissed him. He ran his fingers through the curtain of my hair falling over him, and he held my cheek with his other hand. When I backed away, leaving less than an inch separating us, a light flush colored his face. I whispered, “I love you, too.”

            Kalin broke out in a laugh and ran a hand through his hair. His grin was wider than any I’d seen. “Wow. I just- wow. I mean, I never imagined it _upside-down_. Not that I- uh, shit, forget I said that.”

            I giggled and tried to reach for him again. The ache in my head became too much. I grunted and fell flat on my stomach. Kalin was on his feet in a millisecond. “Hey, can I get you water or something?”

            The spiking pain forced me to bury my face in my pillow. I said, “I probably need to sleep. I don’t want to, though.”

            “Oh.” I saw what he meant about the sad-sounding “oh.” He went on, “Can I do anything to help with that?”

            I tilted my head the slightest amount so I could see him. My vision had started to blur again. My arm hung over the side of the cot. “Y-yeah, but it’s… it’s kinda dumb. It’s- I mean, could you- would you- Um. W-would you hold my hand?”

            His mouth opened, closed. “Of course. Yeah, of course I will.”

            Kalin dropped to the floor and intertwined his fingers with mine. The strength of his grip and warmth from his fingertips were an unimaginable comfort. Sleep soon enveloped me in its dark arms.


	7. (ir)Responsibility

            Dawn light burned my eyelids. I opened my eyes to slits, but the sunlight heightened my headache. I angled my head down so my bangs might give a shadow to work with. When I did, I saw… my partner, passed out, sitting in the same place he had been last night. Though his hand had fallen slack, his fingertips still brushed mine. I bit my trembling lip, and a single tear traced down my cheek. I wiped my arm across my face and smiled in a small way.

            I made an attempt to quietly rise to my feet. The movement backfired when pain struck my spine, and I tumbled off the side of the cot. I landed with a grunt, but someone else’s gasp was louder. Kalin stared at me with wide eyes. I covered my reddening face with my hands. “S-sorry!”

            “…Well, there are worse ways to wake up than your girlfriend falling in your lap.”

            “No, really, I- wait, what’d you call me?”

            He helped me sit up, rubbed at his eyes, and asked, “How we feeling today, princess?”

            “Now I’m…” I clasped my hands together. “I have a headache, obviously, but I think I’m okay. Why do you call me that?”

            “Rain, Rain, Rain. Only true _royalty_ could look at the Satellite and call it pretty.”

            “Beautiful,” I said, looking into his eyes. “It’s beautiful.”

            “Whatever you say, princess.” When he rose, I noticed him slightly stumble. A grimace crossed his face for the shortest instance. He held a hand out to me while wearing a wide smile.

            “Um, did you hurt yourself by staying here?”

            “Nah. I’m fine, really.” Our hands clasped together, and he pulled me to my feet. He bent down again, picked something up, and held it out to me. “This yours? Looks like it fell out from under the mattress.”

            I accepted the item, which appeared to be a fingerless black glove. Stuck inside of it was a small remote. There were two buttons on it: one green and one red. They were labeled in the same sort of symbols that decorated the Seal of Orichalcos and my duel disk. I tried the glove on, slipping it onto my right hand. Once again, a perfect fit. When the light hit it, “K,” “O,” and “D” was etched into the back with decorative text.

            A memory bubbled up. Within, a wall of searing flames raced towards me. I stood my ground, held up my right forearm, and watched the encroaching fire through my fingers. Red, gold, and white raged around me and roared like a dragon.

            The memory halted. I breathed in deep and looked through the broken dome. A thick layer of smog blocked the Satellite sky. A sense of pride was instilled in me. I’d never felt proud of myself before. K.o.D. was the same person who left the note. They could have something to do with the fiery ghosty thing, too. The remote must be related to… “Yeah, this glove is mine. I, um, have something I need to tell you.”

            “Oh! Is this the part where you admit you’ve been lying about your memories the whole time?”

            “No way!” His laugh bounced around the stage’s acoustics, and I frowned. “This is serious. I kind of… kept something from you.”

            His expression evened. “That’s okay, Rain. We’re allowed to have secrets. You don’t have to tell me everything, or anything.”

            I took his hand and pressed the remote into his gloved palm. I walked a few feet away to the stage’s edge. “Use the green button when you’re ready. It’s really cool, I promise!”

            Kalin’s glare battled my unchanging smile. He relented and did as I told. I pressed the green button. The runner’s engine roared to life all its own. It drove to me, parked, and turned itself off. My partner’s eyes were wide. “That’s a duel runner! And, it- it drove itself!”

            “That’s _my_ duel runner, and it’s a pretty smart one.”

            “How the hell do you have a runner?”

            I shrugged my shoulders. “I guess my old self liked them. I’m… sorry I didn’t tell you. I was afraid that you’d want me to use it, and it feels like one of the only things I have left of whoever I used to be.”

            “So… you’re showing me because-”

            “I want to do anything I can for you and the team,” I said. “I don’t care about my memories anymore. You guys are way more important!”

            “Rain…” He shut his eyes hard. His chin quivered, and he broke into a smile. Kalin held my face between his hands. “You’re precious.”

            “Wh-what’s that supposed to mean?”

            “It _means_ you go ahead and hide that sick-looking runner wherever it wasn’t catching attention, because if Securities see it even once, it’ll be gone. In the meantime, I’ll be over here forgetting I ever saw it.” He winked, and I blushed.

            “…The red one, then.” After a moment of confusion, he clicked the red button. The runner sped behind the backstage curtains and shut off. “See? No risk! It hides itself and can show up wherever I am.”

            “Holy shit, that’s so _cool_!”

            “You suuure you don’t want to take it for a spin?”

            My partner ran a hand through his hair. “Maybe one day. You need to keep that safe. It’s important to you.”

            “But I said-”

            He placed a finger to my lips. “I know, princess, but I want what’s best for you. Never forget that. It’s all I want.”

            “O…kay…”

            “I do have an idea. If you want to know more about the runner, there’s a super mechanic who can help you check it out.”

            My jaw dropped. “You know someone like that?”

            “As a matter of fact, I do.” Kalin held a hand out to me. “I can take you to him, if you want.”

            I grasped his hand and nodded. He set off in a sprint with me in tow. Kalin splashed through leftover puddles wherever possible and laughed as though nothing was wrong with the world.

            He led me through alleys, whispered the Satellite’s local ghost stories, and showed me his favorite shortcuts. We arrived at an abandoned subway. He placed his finger to my lips and said we’d be playing the thieves, and that he would warn me to be quiet but I already was.

            We crept through the greasy, dark tunnels. I kept my breathing light and only knew where I was going by my partner’s hold on my hand. We reached a corner, where light leaked past. Kalin jumped out into the open and shouted, _“Yusei!”_

            Yusei fell backwards. The wrench he was holding clattered against the subway platform. “What the hell, man? Did you take the other entrance just to scare me?”

            Kalin set his hands on his hips and grinned. “Maybe.”

            “Sorry,” I said.

            Yusei sighed and said, “I doubt you knew what he was up to. Hey, Rain. Are you here for anything besides delivering a heart attack?”

            “Why, yes! We are!” Kalin snapped his fingers. “Show him, Rain.”

            I stuck my hand in my pocket and called the runner, which arrived in seconds. It parked itself between Yusei and me. I explained what its capabilities and its apparent connection to my past. He listened intently and did not show a bit of shock. Yusei said, “I could take a look inside and tell you if I notice anything strange.”

            “Awesome!” Kalin said. “While you two work on it, I’ll be visiting Jack and Crow to tell them about our last gang fight tomorrow. So! See you later.”

            I waved good-by. Yusei hardly noticed; he was laser-focused on the runner. He circled it and pointed in the air as though marking an invisible checklist. In the meantime, I observed the area. A desk with a smaller screen like Crow’s “TV” and various tools stood next to a maroon duel runner frame. The wires and panels visible through the frame’s many holes told me it was a work in progress.

            “I didn’t know you were a super mechanic,” I said.

            Yusei laughed. “Is that what he called me? I’m not. He plays it up.”

            My head tilted as I observed his workstation and future duel runner. “I don’t think so.”

            “You’re too kind.”

            “You’re too humble.”

            “Makes two of us,” he said. “Can you come here for a second?”

            Yusei was underneath the runner. One hand was in its guts, and the other held a flashlight. I crawled next to him. He said, “The wires here are lined with a resource I don’t recognize. Odd, too, is that it’s a dark green color. Your engine doesn’t run on Ener-D, and its source of energy seems somehow linked to the attached duel disk. The weirdest item is this right here.”

            His flashlight rolled over a dark red stain on the base of the engine. Yusei said, “It looks like a bloodstain.”

            “B-b-b-” My muscles shivered. A chorus of screams resounded in my blank thoughts. A mental plea met me through the chaos.

_“Our power is meant to be used for good purposes!”_

            “Don’t worry about it,” Yusei assured, and his voice brought me back to reality. He produced a rag and cleaned off the stain. “There. Good as new.”

            “Th-thanks.” I pulled myself out from under the runner and sat up. The fancy letters on my glove shone in the light. A good purpose. Did I have one? Crow wanted to unite the Satellite and the City. Kalin wanted to make the Satellite as great as the City. Jack wanted to become the greatest duelist of all time _._ “Hey, Yusei. What would you say your purpose is?”

            “Purpose?” he repeated, still pointing his flashlight inside my runner. “I think what we’re doing right now is important. I don’t believe the Satellite will need us forever, though. I’d say…”

            Yusei dragged himself out and side-eyed his work-in-progress duel runner. “I’d like to be a turbo duelist in New Domino City.”

            “Woah,” I breathed. “There’s a way to the City? And- you know how to turbo duel?”

            “Sure is.” He pulled the deck from my runner and showed me one of the spells. “Turbo duels use Speed Spells, which typically require SPC. Every turn, both players gain one SPC. Not all spell cards have a Speed Spell version, and some types of spell cards – like Continuous and Field – have no Speed Spell versions whatsoever.”

            I picked the card out of his hand. It was called Half Seize, which halved a monster’s attack and gained life points equal to the loss. Yusei sifted through the cards and said, “Interesting. Three of your monsters have a different colored border than any I’ve ever seen.”

            “Oh, yeah! I noticed that. Wish I knew where they came from.” He returned my deck. I added Half Seize to the stack and placed it on my runner’s disk.

            “I know this is a long shot, but does the green material and/or alternative energy source ring any bells? Whatever it is, I’d like to know. Your runner seems to have the capabilities to reach incredible speeds.”

            My focus dropped to my feet. “I wish I did. But if I remember anything to help you become a famous turbo duelist, you’ll be the first to know!”

            Yusei smiled, placed his flashlight on his desk, and plopped down on a ragged couch nearby. He said, “What about you? What’s your purpose?”

            I gripped my right wrist. “I don’t think I… have one.”

            “Yeah, you do strike me as more of the drifter type,” Yusei said. He reached to his right, produced a couple of waters from an ice chest, and tossed me one. I struggled to catch it. He didn’t notice; his gaze was on the ceiling, and his thoughts were distant. “There isn’t anything wrong with that. You don’t _need_ a purpose, drive, or dream. You can live and be content – especially since you’re with someone like Kalin.”

            I blinked. “Huh?”

            “Did I hear my name?” My partner strolled in the correct entrance this time. He pointed at Yusei and me. “You two better be up bright and early tomorrow! We’re meeting at the hideout first. When we win this, Sector A will be ours, meaning we’ll have the whole Satellite under control! If you’re not up in time, I’ll find you and drag you there!”

            I sucked in a breath. “R-really?”

            Kalin crossed his arms and looked away. “…No. But! You’d better not be late!”

            “I wouldn’t dare to start now,” Yusei said.

            “Good! I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” Kalin started towards the exit.

            “Thanks again for your help,” I told Yusei. He offered a wave and a smile. I downed the rest of my water while chasing after Kalin. He had emerged on the surface, where the air was only slightly cleaner. “Where are you going?”

            He was watching the darkening sky. He started walking, and I followed. “The best option would be resting up for tomorrow. I mean it when I say ‘early,’ Rain!”

            “Okay.” I twiddled my thumbs. “But what if I don’t want to?”

            “Well, that’d be plain irresponsible.”

            I watched my moving feet. We were next to the hideout. “Y-yeah…”

            He stopped so abruptly I ran into him. When I looked up, he wore a grin that said he knew many things I did not. He leaned in so close his lips brushed my ear, and he whispered, “If you want to be irresponsible, I’ll let you know now I’m best at it.”

            The instant he tried to back away, I grabbed the front of his shirt, pulled him against me, and kissed him. We fell against the hideout’s outer wall. Maybe I _should_ leave or _should_ breathe but – his taste was more important. Outside us, I’d imagine the sun was leaving and the light was fading.

            If there was an outside.

            When it reached the point the pounding in my head begged me to rest, Kalin walked me home. I sat on my cot. He kissed my forehead and said, “Sweet dreams, princess.”

            “Bright ‘n’ early,” I muttered.

            He snapped his fingers and winked. “That’s right. See you then.”

            I fell on my side as he left. I guessed my smile was dumb in a way-too-big-for-my-face sort of way. My joy and excitement kept me from sleep longer than usual.

            I awoke to no pain. A quick glance through the roof showed the sun was on the verge of rising, so I was low on time. The runner would be too loud; I sprinted to the hideout. The sky was soft with the powder blue of early morning. I splashed through puddles and smiled, recalling my partner’s similar joy.

            I was the first to arrive. The map was blackened excluding Sector A. That was about to change.

            “You’re early,” a voice said. Kalin stepped into the open.

            “No, you’re just late,” I retorted. “Bright ‘n’ early!”

            “You feeling up to it today? We can reschedule if-”

            “I’m fine, Kalin. I’m ready for this!”

            His look was wary. “You promise?”

            “I think you could tell if I was lying.”

            “True,” he said with a chuckle. The others came soon after, and we discussed the plan. We decided on a frontal charge. There were tens of them, so being sneaky would get us nowhere. This would be a war of brute force. On the way there, Kalin said, “No holding back. They’ll be just waking up!”

            Kalin picked the lock on the gate to the gang’s hideout. We stalked inside. Crow whispered, “Don’t let your guard down for a second.”

            “And don’t forget to be relentless,” Jack shouted. His grin was wicked. We stopped in the heart of the fortress. Shadows were crawling through the dark, and heads were bobbing along roofs. Shades appeared in windows.

            Stars above. They were uncountable. That meant… Kalin had that much faith in us. I grinned in the same way Jack had. I yelled, “Break!”

            Too many things happened at once. What looked liked fifty of them pounced us at once, and I was glad Kalin had given me extra cuffs. I pulled out all five, latched every single one to a new opponent, and swiftly defeated them using the Seal of Orichalcos and my dragons.

            I could see that my friends were doing well, too. Jack eliminated three in the blink of an eye. I saw Kalin take out a few then head inside a building. I, of course, followed him.

            No one was on the stairs to stop me, as expected. Kalin wouldn’t leave anyone behind. I dashed up the stairs and burst through a door leading onto a roof.

            My eyes widened with horror as I beheld the scene in front of me. Yusei dangled between two buildings and would’ve fallen to his death if it weren’t for Kalin. He had caught Yusei’s hand with a cuff and was struggling to hold him up.

            “I- won’t- let- go!”

            “Kalin, you’ll fall too!”

            “Guys..?” Kalin saw me, and he immediately shifted his gaze towards the other man on my roof.

            “We’ll be fine! Get him!”

            The perpetrator gave me a brief look, and I knew he would try to run for it. I extended my disk and activated the Seal of Orichalcos. He slammed into an invisible wall.

            “Wh-What the hell? No, not the shadow! Let me out!” Despite the heat of rage within me, my eyes went cold. “Dammit, I’ll kill you like I did your friends if you keep me trapped in here!”

            He lunged at me. I sidestepped but left my foot out so he tripped over it. He tumbled to the ground, and his fear was palpable. He begged, “P-Please don’t hurt me! I’ve got… a life, you know?”

            This wouldn’t end like it did with Team Dirty Works. He would get what he deserved. I said, “Go on. Beg more.”

            The Seal’s green light cast a ghastly glare upon his face. “Look, what I did- it was wrong. I just, I know what Team Satisfaction is up to, and it’s not cool to run people out of their homes! I mean, we did some bad stuff, but…”

            I slid a card out of my deck. “You don’t build a strong case for yourself.”

            “Wh-what are you doing with that? They warned me about you. You’re the shadow, s-some sort of devil whose monsters are real!”

            “That’s right.” A grin I couldn’t stop slashed across my face. Thunder Dragon materialized at my side. His electricity crawled along the man, and though he didn’t know it yet, he was paralyzed temporarily. My smile disappeared. “You know, since you’ve seen the error of your ways, I’ve decided to free you.”

            The Seal of Orichalcos disappeared. “I’m free! I’m- I- I can’t move… my arms, my legs..! What have you done to me?”

            I grabbed him by the collar and dragged him to the edge of the building. He couldn’t resist. He screamed for help and none came. I held him against the edge so his head hung over the abyss. “Any last words?”

            “Please, please don’t do this!” Tears and snot stained his face. He looked disgusting.

            “Regret can’t change what you’ve done.” I shoved him off. He screamed and screamed while plummeting. He even kept squealing after my Thunder Dragon caught him and deposited him safely onto the ground.

            Once he finally shut up, I yelled, “I’d be careful how I acted from now on if I were you. My dragons don’t take pity twice, and I don’t take pity once.”

            His control returned and he scrambled away. I watched him go.

            “Remind me never to get on your bad side.” Jack stood behind me. He had seen the whole thing.

            I still couldn’t smile. It felt like my heart had frozen over. “I should never have to remind you. We’re- f-friends.”

            Why was that so hard to say?

            “Oh, don’t worry about me, Rain. I like the way you handled that. He’ll never bother us again.” He patted me on the head. “Good job.”

            “Hey!” I swatted at his hand. “Not cool!”

            I broke and laughed with him, the ice shattering.

            “Oh, and in case you’re wondering, your boyfriend is fine.” He gestured towards the top of the opposite building, where Yusei and Kalin were sitting and laughing with Crow standing not far.

            “Thank the stars… Wait, boyfriend?”

            He gave me a look. “You think I’m that stupid? It was obvious since the cat thing.”

            I crossed my arms. “You sound like you’re trying to get on my bad side, Jack.”

            “Oh, please,” he said while leaving the roof. “Can’t take a joke anymore?”

            I leapt down and smirked at him. “I have leverage now! I am the joke master!”

            His face remained flat. “Right. Good luck with that.”

            “…No? Not even smile? Really? Well, it was worth a shot,” I mumbled. We met up with Crow, Yusei, and Kalin.

            “That was fun,” Yusei commented.

            “Looked like it,” I agreed.

            “Tch! You try holding Yusei up that long,” Kalin complained. “Lay off the junk food, my dude!”

            We all burst out laughing as we headed home. Kalin promptly filled in the final hole in the map. He snapped his fingers. “Well guys, the Satellite is ours! Prepare for better days!”

            He tossed the map in the air, and we all cheered as it blew away in the wind. After talking for a while, most everyone broke off, but Kalin and I stayed to watch the sunset together.

            I pressed my palms against the concrete and leaned back. The sun’s fading warmth washed over me. “So, what’s next for us?”

            “Here’s my plan.” Dark orange highlighted him, and his eyes shone. “We have to maintain control. That means keeping down any gangs that try to rise against us. Then there’s making life better for the Satellite. I have some food distributions lined up for anyone that’s scraping just to get by. Also, there are some folks like Martha in other zones that are willing to home wandering kids. If we find anyone in need of a place to stay, we can give them that. I know we’re only five people, but we can totally do this.”

            I nodded. “Do you feel free yet?”

            “No. There’s still-” His gaze dropped. “Never mind.”

            “What? C’mon, you can tell me!”

            He scratched under his headband. “We don’t live in a world where we can be free. You, though – Rain, you’re going to change the world.”

            My eyebrows pushed in. “What does that mean?”

            He leaned towards the falling sunlight and draped his arm over his knee. “It means I believe you can do _anything_ , partner. I don’t look at you like you’re unbelievably amazing for no reason. So. No matter what happens, I want you to keep that in mind for me, okay? You’ll change the world.”

            Full darkness collapsed upon the Satellite. He was watching the darkest waves. I looked to the light of the moon.

            “Okay, partner. I will – just for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, friendos! :)


	8. And I Am Yours

            I gently knocked on the door towering over me. It swung open in a matter of heartbeats; I tackled Martha in a hug. She laughed and patted my back. “We did it, Martha! We did it!”

            “I heard! Wonderful job to you and the other four.”

            “Thanks! How’re you?”

            She rolled her eyes and threw her shoulder towards the door behind her. High-pitched squeals and the rumble of small, running feet leaked from within. “The usual.”

            “Do you need help with anything? I’m just waiting for Kalin, so I have time.”

            Martha nodded and guided me into the kitchen. We sliced vegetables next to each other. I tried to match her swift strokes. She moved to set the broth on the stove and asked, “Have you remembered anything, Rain?”

            “Not really. If a memory comes back, it’s just a snapshot that brings up more questions than answers.”

            I moved from the carrots to the green onions. Martha watched closely. She asked, “Is Kalin helping you?”

            “Helping..?” I redoubled my focus. A bead of sweat formed on my temple. “Yeah. Yeah, he helps a lot.”

            Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Martha lean back against the counter. I swore she must have been smiling but trying to hide it. “I have to thank you, Rain. Since you showed up, he’s finally started using an inside voice and showing an ounce of patience on occasion.”

            “I’m sure it wasn’t _so_ bad.”

            “His voice carries for miles,” she said, “unless you’re in the room.”

            The knife stopped. It hovered one chop away from being finished, yet I was held captive by her words. “I… I wouldn’t want to change someone. That isn’t right.”

            She laughed, saying, “You’re too considerate for your own good, dear. It’s not something he’s throwing away; it’s something he does for your sake. Similarly, my husband wasn’t very comfortable around children. He swapped between seeing them as wicked demons or fragile as glass. Regardless, he helped me with my work because he loved how passionate I am. It’s a mark of caring, Rain, to make some sacrifices and compromises for those you love.”

            Orange sunlight spilled through the nearby trees. Martha’s garden bounced with joy in the breeze. I watched them through the window with a gentle smile. “I… I see. Hey, wait – I never said I- I mean, he-”

            Martha took the knife from me, sliced the last of the green onion, and dropped the portions into the broth. Her all-knowing smile said enough. “I appreciate your help, Rain.”

            I bit my lip. “Um. I was wondering- well, if you don’t mind me asking, your husband..?”

            “He passed away.” The hard lines of Martha’s face stiffened with her mouth set in a thin line. “It’s been years, but I think about him every day. The memories are fond now. I’m not in pain. There are still times, though, I turn to tell him something that would make him laugh, and he isn’t there.”

            My fingers touched the heart on my blue bracelet. “I’m sure, wherever he is, he’s cheering you on for continuing to follow your passion.”

            Her features lightened the smallest amount. “Thank you, dear. I’ll take care of the rest. Kalin might miss you if you’re waiting in here.”

            We exchanged regards, and I walked to Martha’s garden. Golden light from the setting sun sparkled on her flowers. Their pleasant scent was a kind refrain from the rotten smell of the rest of the Satellite. I wandered about the area, appreciating a moment of silence.

            A child’s voice broke it: “Hey, Rain!”

            “Um, hi.” It was one of the kids I’d seen when I lived at Martha’s cottage. He and a couple of his friends hopped in front of me.

            “You’re that chick with the cool powers, right?” asked one. “Can you show us? Pleeease?”

            “…Sure.” I slapped Blue-Eyes White Dragon onto my duel disk. He burst to life and sniffed at the children. The third kid, who hadn’t spoken, screamed and fled. The other two laughed at him. One rubbed the Blue-Eyes’ head, which made it purr.

            “This is so awesome,” he said. “I bet you use them all the time!”

            “Well, no,” I muttered. “They’re not…things to be used. They’re my friends, and we work together. Kind of like Team Satisfaction!”

            The other child said, “You guys are super amazing duelists! I want to be just like you someday!”

            I twirled a strand of my white hair around my finger. “Um…”

            “I’m sure you will be!” An arm slung around my shoulder. Kalin pulled me close, and his grin was brilliant. He had two black bundles tucked under his other arm. “Mind if I steal Rain from you? We have some work to do.”

            “Y-you’re Kalin Kessler!”

            “In the flesh.”

            The kids gaped at us. “Y-you two are legendary! Would you tag duel us?”

            “No can do,” he said with a wag of his finger. Kalin interlaced his fingers with mine and led me away. “The Satellite needs us.”

            When we were far away from the cottage, I said, “Hi, partner.”

            “Hello!” He stopped and let me go, covering his mouth with his gloved hand. He looked into my eyes, and his were darkened to brown by the sun’s now-red light. “Rain… you shouldn’t show your power to everyone like that.”

            “I… shouldn’t?” Though his hand covered his expression, the tilt of his eyes suggested concern. “Okay… sorry.”

            “No need to apologize!” His smile was back in a flash, and he stole my hand again. “Hey, Rain. One day, we’ll make it so that those kids can be whatever they want to be. We’ll make it so they don’t have the fate of a Satellite.”

            I muttered, “When you say it, I really believe it.”

            “And with you by my side, I can believe in anything.”

            I blushed at his words, and he glanced back and laughed. “What?”

            “You’re too damn adorable. Over here.” We ducked into a narrow alley. He dropped one of the bundles he held and pulled the other over his head. It was a dark cloak that hung on him loosely. “Our first food distributions are tomorrow, and I heard a tip that a couple members of an old gang are trying to ruin one. I set up a trap for them. We’re catching them in the act, which means being sneaky. Think you can manage that?”

            I whispered, “Yeah.”

            Kalin laughed and set a hand on my head. “I know you can! Here, put this on. You’re too eye-catching!”

            “Didn’t think it would ever be an issue,” I grumbled while pulling the mantle over my head.

            “It’s not.” He tilted my chin up to kiss my forehead. Heat rose to my face. “You’re beautiful.”

            “Y-you r-really think so?”

            He tilted his head. “You’re joking. I thought I made it obvious.”

            “R-right. Like I said: when you say it…” I stared at my feet. “I really believe it.”

            He flashed a grin. “Good! Follow me.”

            “You’re going like _that_?”

            Kalin stared down at himself. “Is something wrong with me?”

            “That’s not how you wear a cloak, dummy,” I said. I tugged on his hood so it cast a long shadow over his face. Lines of fabric on the inner lining tied together at his chest, tightening it to cover his clothes. The bottom barely masked the bright blue of his jeans. Mine brushed the concrete.

            “How did you know to do that?”

            “I get the feeling I’ve done this before.”

            “Oh yeah?” He smirked. “Maybe you were an assassin in your past! Or a vigilante! Or…”

            “Someone who wore cloaks,” I offered.

            “That’s what I…” He pinched the bridge of his nose, and I laughed. “Goddammit, Rain. Okay. _Now_ follow me.”

            Night had captured the Satellite, and stars watched us climb to the roof of a building. I matched Kalin’s steps as he leapt from one roof to the next. We stopped beside a shattered glass dome. My partner hovered near it then held up two fingers. Two opponents made it reminiscent of our first partner mission.

            Kalin silently opened a hatch and hurried down a set of stairs. I followed into pitch-black. The sound of his breathing led me to him; I clutched at his cloak. He moved more slowly until we reached the room beneath the glass dome, where moonlight broke through the black.

            Two shadows lingered near stacks of boxes. One said, “This is it? I expected more from the great Team Satisfaction.”

            “They’re just putting up a front,” said the other. “They don’t give a shit about other Satellites. They’re no different from the rest of the gangs.”

            Kalin shouted, “Wrong!”

            He palmed something with a red light and clicked it. The boxes exploded into a smokescreen, consuming them. Kalin sprinted forward and tossed a pair of cuffs at one of their silhouettes, and I did the same. I mumbled, “What happened to being discrete?”

            He pulled the hood of his cloak down and winked at me. “C’mon, princess, you gotta admit how cool that was.”

            “I didn’t say it wasn’t _amazing_. Which it was.”

            The smoke cleared. Two men wearing jeweled robes stared at us with wide eyes. “Oh, shit! Kessler and his shadow!”

            “L-look, we weren’t gonna- We just wanted- please don’t duel us! We’ll walk and never screw with you guys again!”

            “Little late for that,” said my partner, activating his disk. Mine sliced through the air, and I drew my cards.

* * *

 

**“DUEL START!”**

 

            Following our combined shout, Kalin said, “I’ll take the first move! I discard Archfiend General to bring Pandemonium to my hand and activate it. Next I’ll summon Shadowknight Archfiend, set a face-down, and end my turn.”

            “I swear to God we’ll leave you alone if you stop now!” one begged. Kalin set his fist on his hip, and his eyes thinned with his wicked grin. I might have joined in if I wasn’t staring at the unfamiliar cards in my hand. This wasn’t my deck. I’d never seen these monsters before. And what did that word mean..?

            “At least try to keep your dignity,” grumbled the other. “I summon Defender, the Magical Knight in defense position, activate the continuous spell Arcane Barrier, and place a face-down. Defender gains one Spell Counter, which will prevent his destruction once! Turn end!”

            I could use this card. Couldn’t I? So weird… Had someone switched my deck, or..?

            “Rain.” My partner’s voice was low. “This is normally the part where you’re pulling a combo to kick their asses into next week. Why do you look so nervous?”

            “I, uh, I got this! I summon Dragunity Brandistock and use the effect of Dragunity Arma Mystletainn, sending Brandistock to the grave to special summon Arma! Arma’s effect returns Brandistock to the field in the form of an equip card for Arma.” A yellow dragon with black wings shone in the filtered moonlight. It wielded a massive spear. A tiny, light-blue dragon wrapped around its weapon. Mystletainn had 2100 attack, 100 more than Defender’s defense.

            Kalin whistled. “That’s new.”

            “As an equip card, Brandistock allows Mystletainn to attack twice,” I explained. “That means his two attacks destroy Defender, and Shadowknight Archfiend can attack directly!”

            Our opponents’ knight shattered, and Kalin’s monster sliced one. He grunted at the true damage, and his life fell to 3000 since Shadowknight’s effect halved the damage of his 2000 attack. I passed my turn, thinking I’d done okay with the weird deck.

            “Mine! I summon Alchemist of Black Spells and attack Mystletainn. Then I activate the trap Magician’s Circle to bring the Dark Magician Girl to the field and use the spell Magicians Unite. Alchemist has his attack cancelled and can’t attack this turn, but Dark Magician Girl has her attack boosted to 3000! She destroys Mystletainn!”

            Kalin’s trap was fiend-related again, so no help there. My dragon was shattered, and Brandistock was sent to the grave with him. A pink beam of light singed my skin. I grit my teeth and scowled. Our life fell to 3100. “My turn’s not over yet! Alchemist of Black Spells swaps himself to defense position and can add a Spell Counter to our Arcane Barrier. I set one face-down and end my turn.”

            “Your little magic tricks are cute. Want to see one of mine?” Kalin asked while swiping a card from his deck. “Shadowknight disappears, and Archfiend of Gilfer takes its place!”

            A massive, black creature clawed into the hellish landscape of Pandemonium. It wielded 2200 attack and 2500 defense. “Attack Dark Magician Girl!”

            “Ha! You’re so full of shit, Kessler! I activate Magical Dimension! By destroying Alchemist, I can destroy Gilfer and special summon the Dark Magician from my hand!” The magical pair stood side-by-side, and our field was wide open. “You two are finished!”

            Kalin’s smirk remained. “My partner and I are impossible to beat. I special summon Dark Necrofear in defense position by removing General, Shadowknight, and Gilfer from the grave!”

            The blue-skinned monster had 2800 defense, 300 more than Dark Magician’s and 800 more than Dark Magician Girl’s. “Whatever. It’s my turn now, and I know exactly what I need to destroy that card! I summon Breaker the Magical Warrior and remove his Spell Counter to destroy your face-down!”

            Kalin’s Bark of Dark Ruler was destroyed. Our opponent continued: “I activate Arcane Barrier’s effect to draw two more cards! Oh, look. They’re exactly what I need to destroy that card of yours. Say hello to our strongest monster! Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl are sacrificed to special summon Sorcerer of Dark Magic!”

            A dark-armored spellcaster with a three-pronged staff spawned from a combination of the pair. It had a massive 3200 attack.

            “I hope you didn’t expect me to be stupid enough to attack Necrofear without protection, Kessler. I activate Diffusion Wave-Motion! By paying 1000 life points, I can attack your Necrofear and negate its effect!” The blue fiend was shattered. Our field was empty. “Haha, you two have no chance!.. The hell? Why are you _smiling_ , Kessler?”

            Kalin met my eyes. His were silver by moonlight. “Time to win, Rain.”

            He was seriously doing this again? I sidled closer to him. I whispered, “Um, Kalin, what’s a tuner?”

            “You don’t-” He quickly regained composure, his shocked expression wiped away. “Do you know what Synchro Summoning is?”

            “Sync-what?”

            My leader breathed in deep. “Okay, Rain. Let me see your Extra Deck.”

            I withdrew the small deck that was stored in a compartment beneath the main one. Kalin fanned them out, and they were five white cards I didn’t recognize. Each had the name Dragunity Knight.

            He explained, “Synchro Monsters are created using a tuner and one or more non-tuners. Your cards here need a Dragon that’s a tuner and a Winged-Beast that’s not a tuner. You have to have the tuner and the non-tuners on the field, and their stars added together have to equal whatever the level of the Synchro monster you want is. Does that make sense?”

            “Yeah! This deck… makes a _lot_ more sense all of a sudden. I think someone switched it out while I wasn’t looking.”

            He raised an eyebrow. “Unlikely. If someone wanted to steal your deck, it’d be gone. There wouldn’t be one in its place.”

            “What the hell are you two doing? Hurry up and lose!”

            “Hey, partner.” He winked at me. “You’ve got this. Finish them.”

            My heart soared and my smile with it. “My draw! I start by summoning Dragunity Pilum, and by its effect, equipping Dragunity Tribus to it! Next I activate Double Summon and bring Dragunity Militum to the field! His effect special summons Tribus alongside them, and Tribus lets me send a Dragunity to the grave. Now I tune one-star Tribus and four-star Militum with the three-star tuner Pilum to Synchro Summon eight-star Dragunity Knight – Barcha!”

            My monsters blanked into see-through silhouettes filled with stars. Those aligned and a pillar of light exploded from them, forming a grand green dragon. It snaked onto the field and glowered at Sorcerer of Dark Magic. Barcha had 2000 attack.

            “Lotta fancy moves for a weak monster,” mocked our opponent.

            “May seem weak until I use his ability. I can equip as many Dragon-type Dragunity monsters in my grave to Barcha, and each one gives him a 300 attack boost! Mystletainn, Brandistock, Pilum, and Darkspear return to the field!” Each of my fallen dragons joined with Barcha. Its attack boosted to 3200, matching the Sorcerer.

            “S-so what,” said one of them. “The best it can do is equal our Sorcerer!”

            I threw up my hands. “I don’t need to attack your monster at all. As an equip card, Pilum lets me attack you directly with halved damage!”

            “It’s okay,” said the other. “We’ll still have one more turn!”

            “Ah ah ah. I brought Brandistock back, too, so Barcha can attack you directly twice! End this duel, Barcha!” With two mighty swipes of my dragon’s tail, their life fell to 400 then zero. They were both tossed to the ground by the attack. Their disks exploded.

            I turned to my partner. “Did I do it right?”

            “Holy shit,” he breathed. “There’s no way you haven’t done that before. You- You’re-”

            He pulled me into a kiss. For precious moments of stolen breath, the only feeling in my world was two matched heartbeats. Then he broke away, retrieving his cuffs. I was still stunned. He handed me my pair and said, “Oh, sorry for distracting you, princess.”

            “N-no you’re not!”

            “Guilty,” he admitted with a shrug. He turned towards our opponents, who were collapsed on the ground. My dragon must have done some serious damage. Kalin said, “You can try again and again, fellas. When you mess with the Satellite’s peace, all you’ll find is loss and pain. Seriously, that ‘best card’ of yours couldn’t stop shit. You should have listened to me when I said it’s impossible to win against us. Maybe one day you’ll duel well enough to satisfy me. Ha, who am I kidding? Like that’ll happen. If I _ever_ see either of your faces again, I’ll kick your asses myself. So. Get the hell out of here.”

            They struggled to their feet. One scrambled away, sprinting out the building’s main entrance. The other snarled at us. “Who the hell do you think you are? You just- you take and take and-”

            “That’s rich,” Kalin said, crossing his arms. “ _You’re_ the one trying to steal food distributions from people who need it.”

            “How do you know I don’t need it?”

            “Then you could’ve gotten a ration like everyone else. That chance is out the window now. The Satellite is united against selfish people like you. Now, are you going to get out of our face, or…” Kalin cracked his knuckles. The man hesitated for a moment then broke into a run. “Alright! Another success to our names! Say, have I told you that you’re the greatest partner of all time?”

            “Um.” I was sifting through the strange new deck. “Maybe. Wait, what did you say?”

            His brow furrowed. “What’s with you? Why were you using a Synchro-based deck without knowing how to Synchro Summon?”

            “Hm, well, have you heard this one before?” I shouted, “ _I don’t know_!”

            “…Sorry.”

            I sighed. “It’s okay. I’m glad we pulled through that. Thanks… for explaining that to me. If you hadn’t…”

            “No worries!” He slung his arm around my shoulder and led me outside. “That’s what teammates are for. You can ask me anything!”

            “Oh.” I wound a strand of hair around my index finger. Starlight shone silver on it. “What can I do to make you feel free?”

            He froze, and his face went blank. “Rain…”

            “Yeah?”

            “Just… be with me. That’s all.”

            I clapped my hands together. “Oh, goodie. I love doing that!”

            He smiled but it disappeared. “Do you hear that?”

            “Hear what?” He pointed behind me. I turned toward it but there was nothing more than silence, darkness, and rubble. When I looked back, my partner was gone. Panic bit my heart. “K-Kalin?”

            I tugged my hood low and crept through the alleys around the building, but they were empty. Shadows seemed to claw at me as I combed the streets. I couldn’t find him. I was alone, alone-

            “Rain?”

            He appeared behind me, breathing heavily. My fingers curled into a fist. “How could you leave me like that? I was- I thought-”

            Kalin closed the gap between us in an instant and embraced me. He was tense and shaking. “I’m so sorry. I just saw- well, nothing. Please… don’t be scared. It’ll be okay.”

            I buried my face in his cloak. A few tears slipped. “J-just… don’t you dare leave me alone again!”

            “Never! Um, hey…” He drew back and searched my eyes. “Rain… would you… come home with me tonight?”

            I tilted my head. “Go… home with you?”

            “Yeah!” He grinned. “I’ve seen your cool stage, so I thought you might want to see where the _legendary_ Kalin Kessler calls home.”

            “…Why?”

            “Call me crazy, Rain, but I don’t want to say good-by to you tonight.” Heat rose to my face, and he smiled. “Aw, could it be she feels the same way?”

            “I- uh- no!”

            He laughed at me. “It’s so obvious you’re lying. You’re easier to read than a book! If you won’t admit it to yourself, I could always kidnap you.”

            “What do you-” He lifted me over his shoulder before I could react. “K-Kalin!”

            He broke into a fit of laughter and set me down. “I’m kidding! I wouldn’t do that to you!”

            “Stop messing with me!”

            “How can you ask that of me when you look so damn cute when you blush?” The heat harshened, and I stared at my feet. He giggled. “You’re really good at proving me right, Rain. Take for example every single one of our duels. You always pull out the win. You’re the greatest duelist ever.”

            “ _Me_? What about you?”

            He cleared his throat. “Let’s keep this between us.”

            I couldn’t suppress a smile. “Even though I didn’t know what Synchro Summoning was?”

            “Remember what I said about proving me right? _Yes_ , Rain. God, yes!”

            “Oh… well…” I rolled a strand of hair between my fingers. “I guess I could… stay the night with you.”

            His eyes widened for a split second before being thinned by his smile. He offered his hand. I took it. Kalin led me to the rooftops once more, dashing from building to building. He crossed a long gap and waited. “This one’s a little tough, but you can make it. If anything happens, I’ve got you.”

            I nodded and stared into his eyes instead of looking at the gap. I leapt with all of my might, and he caught me in his arms. “There’s my girl. Knew you had it.”

            He always… he made me feel like anything was possible. “I want… to keep being yours.”

            “Oh, yeah?” He snapped his fingers and winked. “Better get used to being my Rain.”

            I smirked. “And you’re _my_ Kalin.”

            “Oof. Poor girl got the short end of the stick.”

            “I did not!”

            “Yeah, yeah, whatever. You coming in or not?” He propped open a door. Endless darkness yawned within. “I’ll be right behind you.”

            I believed him. Pitch-black surrounded me again, but he lightly rested his hand on the small of my back to help guide me. Kalin led me to a balcony overlooking a huge factory floor. A single machine remained; the rest was empty space. Wide windows several feet above the floor shone moonlight on the dirty floor. Some large boxes were strewn about. Kalin threw himself over the balcony, landing with unusual grace on the machine. “Home, sweet, home. Pretty cool, right?”

            I cocked my head. “What is this place?”

            “I’ll show you. C’mon down.”

            “Uh… okay.” I copied his movements, ending up in front of him. He stepped off, and I followed. Several tiny metal objects were scattered on the machine’s conveyer belt. “What are those?”

            “Eh… just some tech projects. I usually get Yusei’s help with them. He’s taught me a lot. He’s been busy working on a duel runner, though, so I try not to bother him with it.”

            I blinked. “So… those smoke bombs today…”

            “Yeah! I set that up.”

            “…Woah.”

            He placed a hand over his heart and faked seriousness. “Oh, my Rain, you flatter me. Over here.”

            Kalin led me to an arched corner of the building that the light from the windows didn’t touch. He palmed a lighter and fired up a lantern, casting firelight upon a mattress and a large cardboard box on the floor. He tossed his cloak onto the bed. “A little old school, but it’s the most reliable thing I have besides you.”

            “Comparing me to a lantern, huh. You’re _so_ smooth.” He shot me a glare but a muscle in his jaw jumped, a ghost of a grin. Curiosity pushed me to peek inside the box beside him. “This is… what? This is, like, hundreds of that same red shirt you wear!”

            “Exactly!” He flashed a grin. Lantern light flickered on his face, and fire burned in his irises. “This was a mass production clothing factory back in the day. They locked it up tight when the machines started being stolen, so not everything was looted properly. Lucky for me when I broke the lock on the rooftop entrance! I would give clothes away, but in the Satellite, kids are the ones in need of them… and this place only made adult sizes. Bummer.”

            Hope lit my eyes. “Does that mean- is there- um, are there more Team Satisfaction vests?”

            “…Sorry, Rain.” He pouted. “I had these special made for us. Each one took several weeks. It was supposed to be a surprise, but… I’m having another one made just for you!”

            “You r-really mean it?”

            “Uh, duh. Seriously, is that your catchphrase? You’re a part of our team! And… so much more. I mean, I…” He gained a sudden interest in the floor tiles. His voice was less than a whisper: “I’ve never showed anyone this place before.”

            I twiddled my thumbs. “What happened to… being a private person?”

            “Yeah, well, I guess you’re a part of it now, aren’t you?” He sat by his bed and removed his gloves and headband. He pulled off his vest and shoes, and he arranged the items neatly. Kalin side-eyed me. “Can’t help but notice you’re staring.”

            “I just… uh…”

            “Aw, it’s okay.” He stood and untied my cloak. When it fell, he swept it and the one he had worn into the box of clothing. Kalin sat with his back to the wall of the alcove and said, “You get some rest, princess, and I’ll keep watch! If anything happens, I’ll take care of it so you can keep sleeping… um… why do you look so angry?”

            I grabbed him by the front of his shirt and dragged him onto the mattress. I curled against him and said, “You’re staying right here.”

            He laughed and held me. “How can I say no to that?”

            The warmth of his embrace and beat of his heart lulled me to sleep. My dreams were empty, but I swore I heard a voice calling my name. Blue fire like the ghost who’d led me to my runner burned in the distance amidst darkness. Instinct guided me towards the fire. I buried my hand in the flames and they licked my skin. Either they carried no heat… or I didn’t feel it.

            The normal blackness of my dreamscape shattered into a dark, mountainous region. Lightning flashed over the image of a dragon’s skeleton chiseled into rock. A woman’s voice called, “Please hear me! We need you, young dragon! We need you to save us again!”

            The vision broke into shards like glass, and reality pulled me past the sharp edges. When I awoke, it was… so cold. I pushed myself up, adjusting to the light spilling into the factory. I was alone. “K-Kalin? Kalin!”

            He kicked away from the machine and wheeled into view on a rolling chair. “Something wrong?”

            “N-no.” I told myself it was just a weird dream. I’d never… dreamed before. Were they supposed to feel so real? Whatever. It wasn’t as important as what’s right in front of me. I swallowed a deep breath and observed my partner. He wore only his red t-shirt and jeans. “I just… I woke up and you weren’t there.”

            “Sorry! You sleep kinda late. You can take all the time you need, but I have work to do!” He rolled back to his tech.

            A smile found me. Same old Kalin… no patience whatsoever. I was so surprised when he stopped and explained Synchro Summoning. I thought he’d be mad. Same with my runner. I should know better by now. He really cared about me. He’s my partner.

            I crossed the floor, leaned over his shoulder, and kissed his cheek. He dropped everything. I whispered, “I love you.”

            “I- I love you, too. Can I tell you something?”

            “Anything.”

            He swiveled around and gazed through the window. His hazel irises sparkled in the midday light. “I was… afraid to invite you because I knew that, once I did, I’d never be satisfied alone here again. Now, though… I wouldn’t trade this memory for anything.”

            Kalin searched my eyes and smiled. “Aw, there’s that adorable blush again.”

            “Sh-shut up!”

            He rose and pulled me tight against him. It reminded me of last night, and my face heated further. “Oh, but I know my Rain, and you looove when I make you blush.”

            A dumb grin spread across my face. “You know me too well.”

            “Okay! No more distracting!” He stepped away. “You’re scouting with Jack later. He’ll be waiting at his theatre.”

            I frowned. “Why is he always sitting on that throne?”

            “Guess he has dreams to be King of the Satellite! Hell if I know, Rain. Maybe it nurses that ego of his… as if he doesn’t get enough!”

            I giggled. “Aren’t _you_ the king, though?”

            “Me? I don’t want to be king. I just like helping. And protecting.”

            “That’s my Kalin,” I said with a smile. It inspired his own. I said, “We’ll make a bunch more memories like this, okay?”

            His face fell, his eyes suddenly filled with so much pain. “I want… that…”

            “Wh-what’s wrong?”

            “Nothing,” he said, and it was all erased by his smile in an instant. “Hey. Remember… I want what’s best for you. Keep that in mind for me.”

            “Of course!” I glanced over the items strewn along his makeshift table. There were… an awful lot of explosives. “What are those for?”

            “Oh, you know. Shit like today, people who want to screw with the good of the Satellite – or want to screw with us.”

            “That’s… kind of drastic, don’t you think?”

            He shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not trying to be a saint here, partner. I do what needs to be done… for the best of all of us.”

            “I don’t think Yusei or Crow would approve,” I said with a snicker.

            “That’s fine. They can’t stand a guilty conscience. I can handle that burden.”

            “Guilty conscience,” I repeated, my mind far away. The blue bracelet bearing a small heart on my wrist sparkled by the noon’s light. “The person I used to be… I get the feeling she was fine to have one of those, too.”

            His working hands paused. “What gives you that idea?”

            All the people my monsters have hurt, the man who set up a trap for us, and the man who attempted to kill Yusei and Kalin… I knew I should feel remorse or at least a tinge of guilt about what I’ve done to them.

I didn’t. I winced and said, “I guess neither of us are particularly good people.”

            Those hazel eyes scanned me. “Rain, I swear all the good we’re doing will outweigh it. That’s what we’re fighting for. We’ll be heroes to the Satellite, and it’ll be as great as the City one day!”

            I didn’t know anything about the City or how it compared to the Satellite, but I knew my partner. I know the good in my Kalin, because it’s why he saved me… and kept saving me. If he believed what we’re doing was right, then I believe, too. My doubts eased. “You think we can make it as heroes?”

            He winked and said, “You already have the superpowers to go with it and everything.”

            He… didn’t think my powers were evil in the slightest. I grinned and slammed my fist into my open palm. “You always… make me feel great, partner. I’m with you in anything and everything, okay? Good, bad, whatever.”

            His expression evened. “Look out for yourself, too. Keep on the down low.”

            “Pffft, why would I need to when I have an angel to save me?”

            “I can’t…” He clenched his fists and avoided my gaze. “I can’t save you from everything.”

            “Well, you haven’t failed me yet.” I shot him a wink but he was staring intently at his workbench. “Um, is something wrong? You’ve been acting kinda weird. And there was that whole thing last night when you disappeared on me…”

            “It’s nothing,” he said quickly. “But, hey, you’re totally right, Rain. I’d save you no matter what, and I want what’s best for you.”

            I raised my eyebrows. “You’ve been saying that an awful lot, and more serious than normal. C’mon, what’s gotten into you?”

            “Eh, guess I’m a little more stressed since I’ve got the whole of the Satellite to take care of now. Then there’s you always getting into trouble on top of that!”

            “H-hey!” He laughed at my flustered look. “W-well, don’t forget about your team. We have your back!”

            “…Yeah.” His smile wavered. “Good luck with the scouting. Bye, Rain.”

            I left via the roof exit and blinked at the noonday sun. What was he working on? It looked like… some duel disks rigged with explosives…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw, I'm sure they're just fireworks for the new year, nothin' big... right?
> 
> Happy New Year, all :')


	9. Fall Together

         I scrambled to keep up with the fast-paced steps of the man blazing the trail. His steps echoed throughout the halls. We seemed to be in an abandoned schoolhouse. I whispered, “We’re, um, supposed to be quiet.”

         “Utter nonsense,” Jack bellowed. I flinched and glanced around. “We’re not rats in the sewers. We own the Satellite, Rain.”

         “Yeah, but, uh… We’re trying to catch the people hiding out here, so sneaking is sort of our goal.”

         “Don’t buy all the drivel Kalin tries to sell,” Jack retorted. “Let them try to run. Let them see how far they get.”

         I gulped. It was a good thing Jack was on my side. Mostly. I said, “Actually, it’s… been a while since I’ve talked with Kalin. When I see him, he just says hi and goes back to working. Working is… all he does. And, and he has these permanent, dark circles under his eyes now. He jumps at every noise like he’s a cat or something-”

         Jack’s shoes squeaked against the linoleum when he skidded to a stop. “I am _not_ your therapist.”

         I blinked up at him. He was so, so tall. My curiosity defeated his intimidation. “What’s a therapist?”

         He sighed through his nostrils and tossed his exhausted stare to the ceiling tiles. “It _means_ I am not here to listen to your problems, charity case.”

         “You, uh, don’t have to call me that.”

         “You’re right. I don’t have to. I want to.”

         “…Oh.”

         A couple of guys walked out of a classroom. They wore purple robes like they were dressed up as spellcasters. One said, “The hell’s that racket? Eh? Oh, shit! It’s Team Satisfaction, and the goddamned shadow’s here! Run!”

         They sprinted towards the exit down the hall. One tripped over a fallen desk, and the bottom of his robes fell over his face. Jack hauled him up, bashed his face against the lockers, and threw the now-limp guy over his shoulder. He said, “Keep going!”

         I chased after the other guy. He was running through a wide-open area with wooden floors called the gymnasium. I palmed a card from my deck. A four-legged creature with cobalt muscles beneath silver plating appeared at my side. I said, “Hunt him, Alien Dog.”

         Its bark was high-pitched like a pulsating signal. The dog sprinted faster than humanly possible and sunk his fangs onto the fleeing man’s leg before he reached the back doors. He screamed and dropped to the ground. I slowed to a walk across the gymnasium. His screams of pain echoed in the massive building.

         Alien Dog dissipated. The gang member clutched at his bleeding leg. “Please don’t kill me, shadow!”

         “What were you doing here?”

         “We were just hangin’ out, I swear! We weren’t up to nothin’!”

         Jack approached and tossed the unconscious guy onto the floor beside his buddy. He grabbed the guy’s collar and said, “Why are you with your old Magician’s Four chap?”

         I recalled the Magician’s Four being one of the last gangs we shut down. The guy crawled back. Blood stained the wooden floor. “W-we were just- we- please don’t kill us, okay?”

         “Excellent defense,” Jack said before jabbing his elbow into the back of the guy’s head. He huffed. “This is boring compared to dueling. I almost wish I was like you and could accomplish both at the same time.”

         “Both what?”

         “Superiority and physical intimidation through dueling,” he said. “You know why five people can hold the entirety of the Satellite, charity case? It’s because the entirety of the Satellite are afraid of us. They know we’re unbeatable, and they know if they try…”

         He gestured toward the two Magician’s Four members. My focus lingered on the bloodstain on the floor. I said, “Am I scary?”

         “Yes.”

         My chin dipped. “Oh.”

         “You act as though it’s an insult,” Jack said. “It’s a useful skill.”

         “It doesn’t always feel that way,” I muttered. I glanced up to see Jack pushing through the exit doors. I hurried to keep up with his stride. “Um, can I ask you a question?”

         “I would prefer if you didn’t.”

         I gulped. He didn’t technically say ‘no.’ I decided to bite the bullet and ask, “What do you think it means to ‘abandon yourself?’”

         “Sounds right daft. There are too many people in the world who want the same thing: power. Throwing away whatever sets you apart is a good way to fall behind in the rat race of life.”

         “So… You think my powers are, like, good?”

         “Depends on what you use them for. If you’re asking about the sole idea of weaponizing them? No. There is nothing wrong with that. Kalin has said as much.”

         I lifted my head. “Have you talked to him much lately?”

         “I don’t talk much period,” he stated. “There is no point in giving an opinion where it is not wanted. That’s what working is, charity case. You are given a task and you complete it.”

         I wrapped a lock of white hair around my finger. “W-well, what’s your opinion on how Kalin is doing?”

         “His work ethic is respectable.”

         “I agree,” I said, “but you don’t think he’s going overboard at all?”

         “You sound like Yusei and Crow. They say he looks like a zombie. They tell him to take a break. Kalin smiles and says he’s fine. It’s a never-ending cycle that I think is frankly pointless.”

         “Is it pointless to worry about someone else?”

         Jack snorted. “Someone as stubborn as Kalin? Yes. He does what he does, and there is no changing his mind. That’s why he makes an inspiring leader.”

         “…Okay. Thanks… for talking to me, Jack.”

         His response was a short grunt. We reached the clearing near the hideout around midday. I shifted my hair away from my sweaty neck and over my shoulder. Kalin was pacing in front of the entrance. I smiled up at him and said, “Hi! How’re you?”

         Kalin’s eyes focused on me for less than a second. “Oh, hey. I’m kind of busy. The other two should be here soon. Meet upstairs in a few, okay?”

         He brushed past me and walked up the stairs. I frowned and dropped my stare to my toes. He didn’t ask how it went or if anything happened. He didn’t even smile.

         “What the hell are you sulking for?”

         My breath caught in my throat. Jack crossed his arms over his broad chest. I stuttered, “U-uh, I, I just-”

         “I have to ask, charity case. Do you think basing your happiness on the attention someone else gives you will get you anywhere?”

         “Wh-what?”

         He shoved a finger into my shoulder and glared at me with those sharp, violet eyes. “There is no point to life unless you yourself can look in the mirror and say you are worth something without another person pushing you to do it. Can you do that, Rain?”

         Jack… used my name. I held his stare and considered what he said. I didn’t even own a mirror. I never went on a mission alone. My best duels were when I tagged with someone else, especially Kalin… because he was always encouraging me.

         “No. No, I can’t do that. I count on you. I count on Team Satisfaction. I count on Kalin most of all. That’s why it… it really hurts to see him like this…”

         Jack sighed and rolled his eyes. “I thought you had potential, but you’re as soft as those other two. As long as you rely on others, you’ll stagnate because you never learn how to do anything on your own.”

         “I- I can do things on my own!”

         “You said you couldn’t two minutes ago.”

         “Well, sort of, but when you said it like you did the second time it sounded totally wrong!”

         Jack stared at me. He was unmoving for a minute. Two. I was about to bolt when he broke into laughter. “You’re funny, Rain. Listen. How about you prove it? Take your fate into your own hands for once.”

         “I did that already. I stood up to Securities for Kalin when I first met him!”

         “Standing up to a nameless, faceless mass is easy,” Jack said. “Standing up to someone you love is a different story.”

         I balked. He was telling me to stand up to Kalin. Why? Did he want to challenge me to see what I was capable of, or… did he care more than he let on? Considering what he said relying on others, I doubted it.

         “Hey!” Yusei called. He and Crow walked up to us with big smiles. “What’s going on around here?”

         Jack shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve decided Rain’s not half bad.”

         He turned his back on us and entered the hideout. I wondered if he saw my jaw drop. Crow nudged me with an elbow. “Hey, you got the Jack Atlas seal of approval! What’d you do?”

         “I- I don’t know,” I said.

         “Don’t sell yourself short, Rain,” Yusei said.

         “But… um… I don’t usually like to admit this, but I am pretty short… er, by average standards.”

         Yusei and Crow broke into laughter. Yusei calmed down and caught my bemused expression. “Wait, dude, she was serious. Rain, it’s an expression. It means don’t undersell what you’ve done right.”

         I muttered, “That… makes a lot more sense.”

         Crow laughed again and clapped me on the back. “You’re a hoot. I can’t wait for when you get those memories back. It’ll finally make sense why you don’t know about stuff.”

         “Let’s go ahead up,” Yusei said. “They’re waiting.”

         The instant we entered the main room, Kalin slammed his palms on the table. “We have a problem. There are rising gangs. It’s our job to snuff them out.”

         Crow exhaled. “Really? Now I think you’re coming up with ways to make us work… but okay, fine. I’m in.”

         “Me, too,” Yusei said. Jack grunted, which was his usual indication of agreement. I hesitated. I looked at Kalin. His eyes were sunken, and his shoulders were slumped.

         I shut my eyes and shouted, “I’m not going! It’s insane to have mission after mission after mission without ever stopping! We’re people! We have limits! We can’t go weeks without any breaks! That’s insane!”

         I heaved a few breaths and opened my eyes. My teammates were in utter shock at my outburst. Kalin was especially dumbstruck.

         Not Jack, though. He had a tiny smile on his face.

         “If you need a break,” Kalin said, “that’s… totally fine, Rain.”

         “I… I think I will,” I said. “Sorry. About shouting.”

         “Don’t apologize,” Jack stated.

         “Oh. Right. Sorry.”

         “I just said _not_ to do that!”

         I almost apologized again and decided that was the time to leave. I sprinted home and immediately hopped on my duel runner. I wasn’t as strong as Yusei, Jack, Crow, or Kalin. Yelling like I did made me feel crazy. I was on the verge of crashing and burning.

         I surged off the stage without wearing my helmet. I drove throughout Satellite, cutting through corners and dodging stragglers. When I had my fill, I stopped at the end of Daedalus Bridge. Daylight sparkled on New Domino City’s glittering spires across the ocean.

         And it hit me.

         I liked the Satellite. Beyond the shitty people in the gangs we kept fighting, people like Martha and my friends were like budding flowers among weeds. I wanted to fight for Kalin’s dream of making the Satellite a better place because I liked it, too. Like Crow and his hero, I wanted to connect the City and the Satellite because of how it would help the people of the Satellite. What Jack said – that I just went along with Team Satisfaction because my friends did – wasn’t true. The Satellite was my home.

         Which was exactly why I wanted to take fate into my own hands by changing the Satellite.

         I faltered. That wasn’t what Jack said. He said take _my_ fate into my hands. The dreams I had were adopted from others. What did _I_ want? I scratched my temple. Great. I thought it was all figured out, but I just ended up confused again.

         Why did I always think myself in circles?

         “Been here all day?”

         I glanced back. Crow drifted to my side. I said, “All day?”

         “It’s been hours since I saw you.”

         “Geez,” I muttered. I must have gone in more circles than I knew. Crow’s forehead was creased, and he tapped the tips of his boots against the bridge. “Something wrong? You seem kind of down.”

         “Well, I… I had to leave the team, Rain.” He watched my eyes widen with shock. “Don’t worry! We’re still friends, but look. What he did – Kalin, that is – wasn’t right. He took us to beat up little kids, and he almost smashed one’s face in! He said it’s to help, but I didn’t listen. Like I said, what he did wasn’t right, and I wasn’t going to be a part of a team that would hurt kids. Plus, he’s… well, you see it, too. He’s been losing it these past few weeks. I swear he doesn’t even sleep. I don’t see it getting any better. I walked, and Jack did, too.”

         I recalled my and Kalin’s first day as partners. Kalin… he wouldn’t have done anything remotely close to what Crow said. But Crow wasn’t a liar, either.

         Crow continued, “Yusei stayed. This shook him up too, but I don’t think he has the guts to abandon Kalin. I know you won’t either, but is there any way you could talk to him? I know he’ll listen to you.”

         I sighed. My partner _was_ getting paranoid. How could I help? Would he really listen to me? He told me once that he would, and I believed him. I had to find out if Crow told the truth. I hoped Kalin wouldn’t hurt kids, but…

         _“I’m not trying to be a saint here, partner,”_ he had said.

         I wasn’t a saint, either, but there’s no way a kid could deserve pain. Kalin’s my partner no matter what, so there must be some way I could get that across. Crow must have seen the spark of determination light up my eyes, because he patted me on the back and wished me good luck.

         In the hideout, I stopped by the entrance to the main room. Yusei and Kalin stood at the table. Yusei gripped Kalin’s collar and scowled; Kalin was expressionless. Yusei finally released him and left. Only Yusei saw me, and he took my arm as he walked by and led me outside. I leaned against the wall, and he pressed his hand beside my head, looking frustrated.

         “He’s gotten it into his head to attack Sector Security. You have to stop him! He won’t listen to me. You’re the only one who can save him.”

         Pleading shone in his sapphire eyes, and his hopelessness struck me. Yusei always had a plan. Always. Now he was looking at me like I was a last resort. My heart dropped into my stomach. Making an enemy of Security was sentencing yourself to life in the Facility. Kalin wasn’t crazy enough to do that – was he?

         I said, “I’ll try my best.”

         He slipped his hand off the wall. “I’m sorry… for everything that’s happened to you, Rain. I want to help, but there’s nothing I can do. Good luck, and stay safe.”

         I fought to find the words to comfort him, but they wouldn’t come. I wasn’t able to meet his eyes, and he left me there. Dread dampened my spirits as I stood in the shadow of the hideout. I shook it off for my partner’s sake and went in.

         Kalin stood up as I entered. “Where have you been? I have some bad news. Crow, Jack, and Yusei abandoned us. We’re the only two left on the team.”

         “Did you…” My breath caught in my throat. I swallowed hard. “Did you really hurt that kid?”

         “Not this again,” he muttered. “I was trying to scare them! All these kids are trying to make gangs to be like us, but they don’t get it. It’s dangerous and hard work! The whole point of this was to end the gangs, but instead Team Satisfaction is inspiring people to make _more_ gangs! That has to end, and it was the only way.”

         “Think of what we’ve done for the Satellite,” I countered. “If they’re trying to be like us, is being in a gang so bad?”

         “Of course it is,” he said. “Remember all the times you’ve been hurt. Remember all the times you had to cause pain.”

         “But, Kalin… all you did today was create more hurt.”

         When he shook his head, the red of the setting sun was stark against his light blue hair. “I thought my partner would understand. Rain! To make the Satellite worth living in, we have to erase all the gangs. And there’s one last obstacle. Do you know what it is?”

         I could feel his eyes scanning me. I stared at my bare feet. He said, “You keep asking me if I feel free. I don’t, and it’s because there’s one more enemy we have to defeat to save the Satellite once and for all: Sector Security. They’ve got duel runners now, and they think they own this place because of them!”

         He tipped up my chin and looked me in the eyes. I kept a straight face. He begged, “Together, we can do anything, right? Help me, Rain.”

         “No,” I whispered. “No, this is insane. This can’t be happening…”

         He searched my face. “Why won’t you help me? I thought we were partners!”

         “Partners in fighting for what’s right. That’s what Team Satisfaction is about. Uniting the Satellite was a good thing, and we made this place better. What you’re planning is nothing more, nothing less than a death wish.”

         “No. This is justice.”

         My laugh was empty. “You’re crazy.”

         “No, I’m right! Why won’t you listen to me? It was them, wasn’t it? Those traitors! Why trust them over me?”

         “I didn’t-”

         “Shut up!” He started to leave, and I grasped his arm. He shoved me to the ground. He kept his back to me, saying, “I have to do this. Not just for me, but for all of us. If you can’t see that, _stay the hell out of my way_.”

         Kalin was gone. I couldn’t move; I was so stunned, so hurt. Minutes turned to hours and my mind was still blank.

         What happened to him?

         Darkness had fallen, and the moon was a crescent facing upwards. The sky split. Rain poured. It pulled me out of my despair.

         I had to find Kalin. If he was making a move, I expected him to be at Sector Security’s Satellite Headquarters. When I arrived, I saw a cloaked figure standing above the entrance.

         I ducked into shadows and scaled up to the archway he stood on. An explosion rang out. I tackled him, looking straight into his wild eyes. “What the hell did you do?”

         “I did what I had to do! Get off of me!” I slowly rose and watched as uncountable duel runners zoomed out of the fortress, sirens blaring. “Rain. I told you to stay out of my way. Keep yourself scarce, _or else_.”

         “Or else what?”

         His scream was dripping with frustration: “You’ll ruin everything!”

         “Ruin..? You’re the one who…” The threat of tears stung the back of my eyes and throat. “Why did you have to do this? Why did _you_ ruin everything?”

         He put his hand on my shoulder. “Look… I’m helping. As long as you stay away-”

         “Oh, you can _bet_ I will!” I shook him off. I couldn’t stand this anymore. And so I ran away from my partner, my teardrops mixing with the falling rain. I finally came to the stage I called home, and I wondered if that was all my life was. A performance, just a play for someone to watch.

         Except this was very real. Pain tore at my heart. Fear clawed, making it beat faster. The love I couldn’t throw away shattered it into a thousand tiny pieces. I wanted to keep running. I was so afraid and so alone.

         “Rain?” Yusei walked into the building. “Hey. Securities are everywhere. I wanted to check and make sure you’re okay.”

         I hugged myself. “They’re after Kalin, not me. Did you hear about what he did?”

         “Yeah, but you…” Yusei’s eyes flicked to the floor. “We have to go find him, Rain.”

         “There’s no point. I know you were counting on me. I blew it. He told me to stay the hell away.”

         My arms wrapped tighter around myself, and tears ran down my face. Yusei placed a hand on my back and spoke in a gentle voice. “You have to understand that he’s lying, Rain. It’s all a lie, and he needs you more than ever right now.”

         “He… he doesn’t lie.” Yusei’s only response was a pained expression. I said, “Okay. Okay, fine. I won’t give up on him. If the roles were reversed, I’m sure he’d be right there with me. Where is he?”

         Reaching the hideout was easy. Getting inside was a different story. The place was surrounded by Securities, their floodlights drifting over the building’s face. The pouring rain masked our movements. The night offered plenty of shadows. Yusei and I used the darkness as a cloak to enter the hideout. Within, Crow and Jack awaited us.

         “Kalin!” Yusei went in first. The others followed, but I hesitated. The fear and dread paralyzed me. I had the sense that passing this threshold was far more than entering a new room.

         But.

         What would never change was that Kalin was my partner. For that, I stepped inside and leaned against the back wall. Kalin looked so… excited.

         “I knew you’d come back, all of you! Now, it’s time for Team Satisfaction’s last duel!” Yusei, Jack, and Crow removed their duel disks and placed them on the table. Mine was absent from my arm. “Wh-What? We have to fight back!”

         “There’s no way in hell that’s happening, Kalin. We’re slipping out the back and running,” Yusei said. Kalin backed up, stunned by this revelation.

         “N-No way! I’ve been running all my life from them! It’s time to stand up to Security!”

         “Grow up,” Jack demanded. “Can’t you see that you’ve backed us into a corner? There’s no way we can fight through them!”

         “You took this way too far,” Crow agreed. “Now it’s our only choice.”

         “We’re supposed to be a team! We’re supposed to stand together! We-” His gaze stopped on me. “Wh-what the hell? What are _you_ doing here?”

         “I won’t leave you behind, partner.” I stepped forward and held a hand out to him. “It’s our turn to save you. That means… we all run together.”

         “Save… me..?” He stared at my shaking fingers. I prayed he remembered our first day as partners. After a breathless moment, he slipped his hand in mine. “…Okay.”

         “Let’s go,” Yusei said, leading the way out the door. Jack and Crow followed, then Kalin, who I followed. Before we were out the door, though, we heard a voice boom outside.

         “We only want your leader. Turn him in, and the rest of you can go free.”

         I snorted. “Not a chance.”

         “Hurry up, will you?” Kalin released my hand. “No time to think!”

         I was beginning to think that was his life motto. We dashed through the hall, down the stairs, and through the back door. We ran as fast as we could, wherever we could go. We were forced to scatter after charging through a line of Securities. Rain pattered against concrete and sirens screamed as I heard someone shout everyone’s names. Was that Jack? After running out of breath, I ducked into a shed to use as a safe haven for a while.

         Upon entering, I was surprised to find my team there. Jack and Crow were holding back a heaving Kalin while a perplexed Yusei paced the scene. Securities could be heard outside, but I was left staring at the blood on Kalin’s shirt.

         “Rain!” Kalin tried to lunge forward, but Jack and Crow held him back.

         “What’s happening? What did you do?” My partner avoided my eyes. Yusei spoke up instead.

         “I have one final plan. You three sneak out the back. Rain, I need you to come with me.” While they tried to wrestle Kalin through the back hallway, Yusei lowered his voice to address me. “They said if we give up our leader, they’d let the rest go. I’ll give myself up as the leader of Team Satisfaction so everyone else can get away.”

         “Wh-What? No, you can’t do that! I’ll-”

         “No! I can’t let you. Rain, it’s important you make it out of this, okay? I… I should have convinced him to run away. It’s my fault.”

         “It’s not. Yusei, you… no, _everyone_ counted on me to help him, and I- I ran away. I couldn’t do anything. I acted like a goddamned coward and now I’ve broken everything!”

         “Rain. We all failed Kalin. Fighting over this now is pointless! I’m the one going to the Facility, and you’ll talk sense into him.”

         He wouldn’t budge no matter how I argued. I conceded. “But why did you ask me to stay?”

         “I need you to tell them what I did,” he explained. “They should know. As soon as they take me, find them and let them know what happened. Maybe that will make Kalin change his ways. If it doesn’t, you can.”

         Yeah, right. He wouldn’t listen to me before. We’re making a worthless effort.

         No, we’re not! Kalin would always be worth fighting for. That’s why we all came back for him on our own. He’s my partner. I would never, ever give up on him.

         “Yusei…” I wrapped my arms around him. “No matter what happens, I’m sorry I couldn’t have done better. I was supposed to help him. I… I failed..!”

         He hugged me back. “We’re going to save him, Rain.”

         We separated and I looked into his eyes. I wondered if I would ever see him again. “I don’t want to lose you, either.”

         “I’ll be fine, Rain. You can believe in me.”

         And I did. I led Yusei outside. The squad of Sector Security cars swarmed us. Yusei announced, “I am the leader of Team Satisfaction! You said if you take me the others could go, so here I am!”

         “Yusei!” Crow’s voice rang out. He and Jack were being held back by Securities, which meant they were caught. Dammit… but where was-

         I palmed my runner remote as a Sector Security force leader approached us. He said, “We asked for your leader. Did you seriously think we didn’t know who that was?”

         Security officers were leading Kalin to a car. He looked our way while the officer patted Yusei’s back. The force leader said, “It was cute you tried to save your friend, though!”

         Kalin’s rage seethed through his scream: “Yusei! You… you betrayed us? _How could you_?”

         “N-No! Kalin, I didn’t…”

         I understood.

         In that exact moment, I understood what I wanted.

         “I’ll get you for this, I swear!” Kalin shouted. The sound of an engine roared louder and louder behind me.

         “Yusei,” I said under my breath. My teammate was visibly torn apart. “Yusei, I need you to listen to me.”

         The urgency in my voice caught his intrigue. I said, “I need you to deliver a message to Jack. Tell him I figured it out. I don’t care about my own fate. What matters more to me is changing the fate of those I care for the most.”

         His eyebrows pushed inward. “What do you-”

         My duel runner blasted through a line of Securities. I back flipped onto the seat and floored the accelerator. The force leader dove out of the way. “What the hell? This gang didn’t have runners!”

         I sped towards Kalin and turn braked, smashing it into the Securities detaining him. I leapt off and dragged Kalin by his shirt into an alley. We squeezed through a narrow crevice connecting two alleys and scaled a fence onto a broken arch. There, we stopped and caught our breath. Opposite the fence was a perfect escape route into the B.A.D. Area.

         “Haha, that was fun!” I said with a grin.

         Kalin gaped at me. “Why the hell did you do that, Rain? Now they’ll track you down for sure!”

         “I am aware. There’s no way I’d stand by and watch my partner fall alone! Oh, but I’m not done yet.” I grasped his shirt and crushed his lips to mine as the rain poured over us. Feeling his skin on mine, his warmth on my body – my heart was racing, and everything finally felt right. My resolve erased my dread. I whispered, “Promise me something.”

         “Whatever you want.”

         “Promise me… you won’t follow me.”

         A bewildered look crept onto his face. I shoved him off of the arch towards the B.A.D. and jumped from the fence side before he could react. I heard him screaming my name.

         Rain. Rain.

         I dashed back into the alley where we’d made our escape.

         Rain.

         As expected, Security was searching the area.

         “There she is, everyone! Get her!”

         I acted like I was running away and fake tripped. A firm grip clamped on my arm and hauled me up. I found myself staring at the force leader’s pinched face. Oh, was he angry. It gave me a big smile. He said, “You made a big mistake tonight, shadow. Helping a fugitive escape, harming Security officers – a double offense! And to think we almost forgot about you. This is a long time coming. I don’t know if a female has ever had to be sent to our main Facility before, but there’s a first for everything.”

         He cuffed my wrists. They led me from the alley into the road where they were trying to capture Kalin. I saw Yusei, Jack, and Crow out of the corner of my eye, so I flashed them a smile. A Security shoved my head down. I could hear my former team yelling but there were no commotions beyond them.

         Kalin had kept his promise.

         They tossed me into the back of the vehicle and shut the doors. “Send her to the New Domino City Facility. They’ll know what to do to her there. And tell them not to worry. Her little friend will join her soon!”

         The truck started. All I had left was darkness and the bouncing of the wheels over pothole-ridden streets.

         Oh, and my smile.

         I would always have that.


	10. Branded Criminal

            The first thing they did was to imprint my face with a criminal mark. These marks were placed on every prisoner who had stayed in the Facility due to both its tracking capabilities and alerting those around to what they had committed. Albeit always bright yellow, each mark was a different shape for every individual. Multiple visits meant multiple marks.

            They placed me in a machine that scanned my face then decided where to plant the mark. It would be placed underneath my right eye in the shape of two joint crescents. One was facing up, outlining the underside of my eye. The other faced outwards on my right cheek, and its top tip blended into the first crescent. The shapes reminded me of double the moon my last night in the Satellite – one for me and one for my partner.

            Agony like molten lava burned the underside of my cheek. Tears stung the back of my eyes and my throat fought for the breath to scream.

            I held them in. They would not have the satisfaction of my pain.

            Once the lengthy surgery ended, they escorted me to the Facility’s chief: one Mr. Armstrong. He was a large, dark-skinned man with black hair and a sailor’s beard. His arms were ripped despite his potbelly, and his nose was similarly fat. Black beady eyes scanned the forms in his hand. When he leaned back, I noted his navy blue chief’s uniform.

            “A Satellite, huh?” His voice was deep and excessively loud. “And a girl? We’ve never had one of them around here! They have special Facilities for you. This must be some sort of mistake… unless you’re real dangerous.”

            He shot me a glare of disgust, so I returned it in kind. “Filthy Satellites taking up space… What kind of charges? Huh? Aiding a fugitive and assaulting Security members in the process, was in possession of a duel runner? Those are some serious crimes, kid! Oh, here’s your ticket. You’re a powerful psychic duelist who used her abilities to destroy a building, harming _more_ Securities? You’re dangerous, all right. Throw this Satellite trash in the special room. Hope you have a horrible time!”

            He loosed a cruel laugh before I was led to my cell. After I was shoved inside, I observed my surroundings. Obstructing my hopes of escaping were columns of iron bars over a window looking out unto the City. A metal slab of an electronically locked door blocked me from the rest of the Facility.

            Though every room I passed was a single cell, this one had two beds. So that’s why he called it special. He was confident they’d catch my Kalin. My partner would show them, I was certain.

The pain of my mark had exhausted me, so I turned in early. I awoke to a racket outside of my cell.

            “Breakfast!” A tray of mush was slid under the door, but I couldn’t eat. Though I had no regret for the resolve I’d found, my stomach was still coiled in knots. In mere hours, my team and partner had unraveled at the seams.

            I slapped my cheeks and repeated my mantra: keep moving forward. I sat under the window and looked to the sky’s endless blue. Far below was the Facility’s entrance, which was by the raging sea. A salty breeze blew by, giving me a whiff of New Domino’s clean air. I could see the City’s rising skyscrapers and crowded streets in the distance. My cell was about two hundred feet off the ground. A massive, white wall rose to half the Facility’s height and ringed the structure.

            I must have been immersed in my thoughts for some time, because a guard came by, opened my cell door, and yelled “Rec time!”

            Eh?

            When I was slow to react, he entered my cell. “Get a move on, Satellite!”

            He grabbed me and shoved me to the ground behind him. I landed hard on my shoulder. I reluctantly rose and exited the cell, followed close behind by my new “friend.”

            The recreational room held two duel fields and a large row of bleachers. Many other prisoners were wandering around aimlessly. I didn’t understand why duel fields would be there – assuming their decks were taken away, which I had heard they were.

            My arm suddenly grew heavier. My duel disk had returned to me. I swore the thing had a mind of its own.

“Hey, you!” A big man with spiky blue hair addressed me. He was tall and muscular, and he wore a black shirt under a plain brown vest and jeans. His criminal mark was symmetrical on both sides of his face, slashing diagonally under his eyes down his cheeks. He was wearing a duel disk with a full deck in it. “So there really is a Satellite girl in here now. That look in your eyes tells me everything I need to know. There’s a way to earn respect around here, if you want it.”

            Rainbow energy traced along his duel disk’s card zones. “The name’s Bolt. Bolt Tanner. So, how about it?”

            I answered by activating my disk and pulling my five cards. He belted out a tremendous laugh, stating, “A woman of few words! I like you already!”

* * *

 

**“DUEL START!”**

 

            “I’ll take the first shot! I’ll start off by summoning Jirai Gumo!” Bolt shouted. A giant red spider emerged from the ground, boasting 2200 attack points. “I’ll end my turn by placing two cards face down.”

            I drew my card and was surprised to find my deck had swapped like during my tag duel when Kalin taught me how to Synchro Summon. How did the deck change, and how did the disk disappear and reappear?

            I wished I could stop keeping secrets from myself.

            “I activate the spell card Terraforming to bring the field spell A Legendary Ocean to my hand and activate it!” An underwater scene shimmered around us, engulfing our old surroundings. “Now I activate Field Barrier, preventing my field spell’s destruction. Next, I’ll summon Giga Gagagigo in attack position and attack that spider!”

            The mechanical lizard flung itself at the spider, tearing its claws through it and reducing Tanner’s life points from 4000 to 3550. The monster phased through him.

            My attack didn’t cause pain. That’s… good. I didn’t want to hurt him. Was that why my monster wasn’t real? “I’ll end my turn by placing these two cards face-down.”

            “Humph, pretty impressive. Your field spell reduces your five star monster to four stars, so you can summon it outright. Nice to know the Satellite can read!” I couldn’t tell if he was trying to compliment me or insult me. Or… both. He drew his card, a grin stretching across his face. “I activate Cost Down, discarding one of my cards so I can summon Ushi Oni! Now, I sacrifice it to special summon Giant Ushi Oni!”

            Another giant spider arose, and its upper body was that of a blue bull. It had 2600 attack points, which was 50 points less than my Giga’s points. “Don’t get too excited, Satellite. I’m not done yet! I activate Axe of Despair and equip it to my Oni! This increases his attack by 1000. Strike down the lizard!”

            “Slow down there, bud. Scrap-Iron Scarecrow stops your attack cold then goes back into face-down position.” The tiny scarecrow popped out, and the bull skidded to a stop in front of it. The metal totem then flew back into the card and flopped back down.

            “Stupid stall card,” Bolt grumbled. “I end my turn.”

            I drew my card and was too giddy to keep a poker face. “I sacrifice Giga Gagagigo to summon Levia-Dragon Daedalus! I sacrifice it once more, though, to special summon Ocean Dragon Lord – Neo-Daedalus!”

            The waterlogged fish dragon emerged from the ocean depths wielding a whopping 2900 attack points bumped up to 3100 thanks to the field spell. However, it remained to be less than the Giant Ushi Oni’s 3600 points. “I activate my Dragon Lord’s effect, destroying every single card on the field except it and forcing us to discard both of our hands just by removing my field spell!”

            He swept every card off of his field. I did the same, leaving Ocean Dragon Lord alone. We were both out of a hand.

            “Attack directly!” The dragon spit out a jet of deep blue water at Bolt. He lost 2900 points to take him all the way down to 650. “I end my turn.”

            “Hah… You do pack a punch. For a Satellite, anyway. My turn, down but not out! I summon another Jirai Gumo in defense mode and end my turn.”

            The spider returned tinged blue, indicating its defensive position. After my draw, I decided I was a fan of this deck. “I summon Gagagigo in attack position and use it to attack that giant spider! Finish him, Daedalus!”

            Another jet stream of water shot out at Bolt, and his life points reduced to zero. “Hah, nice job! No one’s beat me in a long time. Okay, you’re in.”

            A cheer arose, and I realized everyone in the room was watching the duel. My mouth twitched down, and I resisted an embarrassed blush. “In… what now?”

            “There’s not a name! Look, point is, you’re in. Now you’re the strongest duelist here! Do what you want, but I wouldn’t let the guards touch those cards if I were you.”

            “Eh, that’s not really a problem,” I sighed.

            “Rec time’s over,” a guard yelled. “Get a move on! Back to the cells!”

            “Well, see you later,” Bolt lamented. “Hey, I never caught the name.”

            “Rain,” I said, “like the stuff that falls from the sky.”

            After spending some time in my cell watching the stars, I fell into bed. The following day was the same as the last. I was woken abruptly then given breakfast. Today, though, I was hungry enough to eat it. Later, a Security dragged me to the rec room. Both of the fields were in use, so I slumped onto the bleachers and watched the ongoing duels.

            “Hey!” Bolt lounged next to me. “How’s it going?”

            My nose wrinkled. “Why’re you so… friendly?”

            “Why’re you so stingy?”

            “I- I wasn’t trying to be like that,” I muttered. “Sorry. I just- when I thought of the Facility, I didn’t really imagine someone like you.”

            His laugh was louder than the clashing holograms. “I got you, Rain! Someone has to keep the peace, and I took it upon myself. There’s no order in a place like this unless you make it yourself.”

            “Order? Does the test have something to do with that?”

            “Actually,” he said, “that was more for your sake. Look around, Rain. Don’t you notice something different between you and everyone else here?”

            I observed the dueling inmates. Others were chatting in cliques, reading, or sitting and looking bored. I said, “Um, they all have criminal marks.”

            “You have one of those, too, kid!”

            I blinked. “Oh, yeah. I, uh, forgot… I don’t exactly have a mirror to look at every day…”

            Bolt burst out laughing. “You’re a Satellite for sure! I was trying to get at the fact that you’re a girl. This Facility’s all male besides you. That could be real dangerous, so… I challenged you to a duel because I heard you were a psychic. Guess it was just a rumor, though.”

            “Psychic? Armstrong called me that. What does it mean?”

            He sat up straight. “You don’t even know? You’re pretty sheltered for a Satellite! Psychics are duelists whose attacking monsters deal real damage.”

            Images passed through my mind: blood on a gymnasium floor, a face contorted in horror over a chasm, and a pair of Securities running for their lives. “Oh. Yes. I am one of those.”

            “The hell? You were supposed to attack me, kid!”

            “Why would you want that?”

            He leaned in. “Because if you did, you’d scare off all the guys who might think of gettin’ a piece of you.”

            “You mean you… you were trying to protect me?”

            He moved back and crossed his arms. “Look, it’s not specifically _for_ you. It’s to keep order. That’s my job in these walls, Rain. You bein’ here is a problem for what we have going on!”

            “Oh.” I laced my fingers together and rested them on my lap. “Well, it is… sort of scary. Thank you for making me your problem.”

            “It’s not something you’re supposed to thank me for!” he barked.

            “Oh. Sorry.”

            “Don’t apologize for-” He sighed. “You’re not a regular Satellite, are you? You’re goddamn clueless!”

            I gave an apologetic smile. “In the Satellite, I mostly did what people told me to. This may sound strange but being in here is the most freedom I can remember having.”

            “Great,” he grumbled. “Means I’ll have to keep a closer eye on you.”

            “I appreciate it.”

            “I’ll bet you do!”

            I twiddled my thumbs. “So… what do you do for fun around here?”

            “Duel,” he answered. “Most people have their decks confiscated, so there’s not a big pool for competition.”

            “Have you ever asked a Security to duel?”

            “Bad idea.”

            I wasn’t so sure. One of the duel fields was free. I hopped off the bleachers and approached a Sector Security guard. I flashed a grin and said, “Hey. Would you like to duel? Uh, for fun.”

            A blow to the stomach answered me. I doubled over while he spat, “Crawl back to your fellow scum, Satellite. I don’t want anything to do with _your_ kind.”

            “Goddamn!” I clutched my abdomen. “Just saying ‘no’ would’ve worked fine!”

            He noticed my agony and stuck his nightstick deep into my gut. He stepped close to me, whispering, “I know about you, shadow. Psychic abilities only cause pain, and a Satellite like you loves to hurt. This is nothing less than what you deserve.”

            He drew it back then struck my face with such force that I tumbled to the ground. He returned to his post as if nothing had occurred. Trembling, I rose to my feet and wiped the blood from my mouth.

            “I said it was a bad idea, Rain.” Bolt walked to my side and glared daggers in the direction of the Security. “Most people in the City are like that when it comes to Satellites. You’re all supposed to be on your island other than being here, in New Domino’s Facility.”

            “Isn’t there a Facility in the Satellite, though? Why did they bring me here?”

            “Sometimes that one overflows,” he said, “or it could be because you were too dangerous to go there. That’d make sense. I hear they arrest psychics on the spot in the Satellite.”

            “…They what?”

            “Rec time’s over!” the guard shouted. “Back to the cells!”

            Guards split us up and directed us back to our blocks. Bolt called his good-by. I was heaved back into my cell and left to watch the sky. I thought about what Bolt had said. It was probably some rumor.

            When I slept, I had my second dream.

            I sat on the lip of a stone fountain. My legs were crossed at the knees. I threw my head back and watched the water lap against the fountain edge. It was stained crimson.

            A drop fell from the sky and landed on my nose. It slipped down the curve of my nose. My eyes crossed to focus on it. The rain wasn’t normal. It was thick, red, and smelled like metal.

            Blood poured from the black clouds in buckets. I didn’t bother shielding myself. The drench was natural. My red-stained hair clung to my skin. I brushed it back from my shoulder and smiled.

            Shivers wracked my body. I shot awake. The air I swallowed was clean, no metallic tinge to it. The bars on the door and window confirmed my place in reality: the Facility. I pressed my hands into the limp mattress on my cot.

            _This_ was reality, not that… other… place. I hugged myself and shut my eyes and repeated, “It wasn’t real, it wasn’t real, it wasn’t real…”

            A guard banged on my cell for rec time, and for once, I was happy for the interruption. At the arena, Bolt ambushed me. He gestured towards the bleachers by the duel fields and said he had some questions for me.

            We sat in the same place we had yesterday and watched an Amazoness duelist brawl with a Koa’ki user. Bolt had his eyes on his own deck as he arranged his cards. He said, “I wanna know what your charges were, kid. In case you didn’t know, those’re the things that got you thrown in the slammer.”

            “Oh, like what Armstrong read to me when I got here?” I asked. Bolt confirmed with a nod. “Mkay. It was aiding a fugitive and assault on Sector Security officers.”

            His focused flicked to me. “It’s hard to imagine you attacking Securities. Whoever that fugitive was must have been important.”

            “Yeah,” I said, my voice quiet. “Very important.”

            “So who was it?”

            “Rec time’s over!”

            “Dammit,” Bolt growled through his teeth. “They cut it short today!”

            Relief calmed me. I didn’t want to have to talk about _him_ to Bolt. Praying for him to be running away in the Satellite was all I could do. If I thought about him more…

            No, too late. My heart weighed tons more than it did minutes ago. I walked with my escorts back to my cell with my eyes watching my feet. As soon as I saw my bed, the memory of my dream came back, and anxiety joined my sadness.

            Having nothing to do was more difficult to manage than I’d expected.

            I held up my gloved hand. The moonlight shone silver against the etched initials: K. o. D. “Abandon yourself,” the voice had told me. If they could still see me, I wondered if they’d approve of the choice I’d made.

            I abandoned my team, my home, and my partner. They were my everything. It was the same as abandoning myself, wasn’t it?

            The sound of footsteps and something dragged behind them withdrew me from my thoughts. The door slammed open, followed by a guard yelling, “Say hello to your new roommate… though I hear you’re acquainted!”

            A limp body was tossed through the open door, which was quickly locked shut. A sadistic laugh echoed down the hall. I tilted my head to observe what I had been left with. My breath caught.

            “K-Kalin?”

            They had beaten him so badly he’d fallen unconscious. His new criminal mark started at his hairline, slashed down the far right of his eye, and ended at his chin. The headband and usual outfit were replaced by a Facility jumpsuit.

            Nononono.

            _He_ was supposed to be free. He was supposed to…

            I pulled him onto one of the beds. I raised his head and placed both his and my pillow underneath it. I curled in beside him and wrapped my arms around him.

            I hated how happy I was to see him.

            “Is this a dream?”

            The rumble of his voice was weak. His fingers shook when he ran them through my hair. I looked into his pained eyes, and my heart broke for him. I said, “I wish it were.”

            “Well,” he started, “I certainly _hope_ you’re the real Rain, because I have a bone to pick with you.”

            I pushed up on one arm and looked down at him with wide eyes. “Y-you do?”

            He rolled onto his back and crossed his arms behind his head. His hazel irises, their color electrified by his new criminal mark, never once broke away from mine. “Hell yes I do. You’re not supposed to be in here. So why’d you do it, Rain? Why’d you give yourself up for me?”

            “Um,” I said. “B-because I wanted to be in here.”

            His eyebrows rose. “Is that the best lie you could come up with?”

            “Yes?”

            The corner of his mouth jumped. “I don’t know why I expected being here to change you.”

            “It’s not so bad!” I said. “I even made a friend! I mean, I think he’s my friend. He’s nice to me, at least, when he’s not calling me a clueless Satellite-”

            “Rain.” His expression was somber. “It is bad. The guards know I was the Satellite who attacked Sector Security. This beating is far from the last, and it’s personal for them.”

            I recalled my interactions with the guards. “They are… not very nice…”

            “As long as you’re here- will they target you, too?” Kalin’s focus drifted to the ceiling. His fear darkened to anger. “This is all Yusei’s fault…”

            “Yusei?” My head tilted. “Yusei didn’t do anything.”

            He propped up on his elbows. “Are you kidding? He sold us out! He’s a traitor! He had you surrounded by Securities and sent me straight into a trap!”

            “What? No way. He was trying to save you!”

            “Yeah, right. I know the first thing I’m going to do when I get out of here…”

            “Um… Go home and live a happy life?”

            Weariness defined his smiled. “That your dream, Rain?”

            “Huh? Not really, no. I… don’t like to think about my dreams. I guess it’s sort of like my dream for you.”

            “Why would that be your dream for me?”

            “Because… I want you to be happy.”

            He avoided my eyes. “What if I told you that having my revenge on Yusei would make me happy?”

            An ancient sadness descended upon me. “If you told me that, I’d tell you it wouldn’t make you happy. It would make you empty.”

            “How do you know that?”

            “I…” I grit my teeth. Something was there, barely out of my reach. “I can’t remember..!”

            He sat up with difficulty and pulled me into a shaky embrace. That he put so much effort into comforting me despite his pain caused tears to prick the corners of my eyes. I blinked them away and wrapped my arms around my partner. He whispered, “It’s alright. You’ll remember one day. In the meantime, just be yourself, Rain. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I kind of like you.”

            “O-only kind of?” He heaved an exasperated sigh. I didn’t have to see it to know he was rolling his eyes. I giggled and said, “I love you, too.”

            He tipped up my chin, closed his eyes, and pressed his lips to my new criminal mark. While heat rose to my face, he commented, “Matching sides. What a coincidence.”

            “We just have to go and do everything together, don’t we,” I said with a wink. He laughed and fell back onto the pillows.

            “Everything,” he repeated.

            “You should get some rest.” I laid my head on his chest. “You seem like you could use it.”

            “Me? Naaah. I’m fine.”

            “Some honesty would be nice,” I murmured. His breathing hitched, causing his chest to compress as though a great weight lay upon him.

            “…Right. Hey. Can I tell you a secret?” I hummed a confirmation. His hand moved to rest between my shoulder blades. He said, “It’s selfish, but I’m incredibly glad to hold you again, partner.”

            I grasped his jumpsuit. “I… I feel the same way.”

            I fell asleep listening to the rhythm of my partner’s heartbeat. My sleep was free of dreams. The lull was a peaceful getaway from the emotional exhaustion the day had become.

            Something poked my arm. My face twisted in annoyance. I flipped and buried my face in the pillow. “Aw, c’mon! You’re seriously gonna keep sleeping? It’s so late in the day!”

            I cracked open an eye. His hands were on the mattress, which masked the bottom half of his face. His bright eyes showed his energy. If he was still in pain, he wasn’t showing it. He said, “Psst. Want some breakfast?”

            “Mmmf.” I sat up. “Sure, I guess.”

            I dug into whatever mush he had left me. I glanced through the barred window to see the sun had long risen. “Huh. Must almost be time for…”

            “Forrr what?”

            “You’ll find out.” I pushed myself off of the bed. “What have you been doing?”

            “Checking out the City.” He jerked his chin towards the window. The clouds in the sky were pure white, the opposite of the Satellite’s dark smog. “Crazy how much better everything is.”

            “I dunno. The Satellite is a home to me.”

            “You should have stayed there,” he whispered. “I just wanted you to be free.”

            “I am so long as I’m with you! Partners stay by each other’s side no matter what, right?”

            He was still staring at his feet, his expression pained. “You care too damn much. You should have stayed away like I said. But I- I didn’t mean any of it, okay? I just didn’t want you to get caught up in everything.”

            I thought of one of the last things he had said: _“Wh-what the hell? What are you doing here?”_

            “I kinda guessed. It’s alright. I forgive you!”

            “…You shouldn’t.” His fingers curled into fists. “If only… goddamned Yusei hadn’t blown it.”

            Before I could ask what he meant, our cell door clicked open. A couple of guards pushed us in the direction of the hallway. “Rec time, you two. Come on!”

            Kalin leaned over and whispered, “Where are we going?”

            “You’ll see.”

            “If we make it there… Wait.” He grasped my arm and we watched as a guard blocked our path.

            “You two shouldn’t be here,” he hissed. “Satellites… You’re why I joined the force in the first place. You shouldn’t even exist! That wasteland only breeds pure evil, and you’re no different. I know what you did!”

            That speech sounded familiar. Just replace Satellite with… with- eugh. The memory slipped out of my grasp. I muttered, “Well, you’re a person, and I’m a person… I don’t really see any difference.”

            Kalin squeezed my arm, probably telling me not to egg him on. The guard grabbed my collar and screamed, “No difference? You’re condemned Satellite trash!”

            He struck me across the face and I crumpled, my vision blurring. Kalin stood over me and faced the guard. “Wrong Satellite. I’m the one you want. Try your best.”

            “Watch me!” He tried to hit Kalin, who dodged and returned the favor. The guard stumbled back. I slowly rose to my feet, tasting blood. He drew his nightstick, ran to me, and slung it at my head. I was too disoriented to move. The _crack_ flared pain across my skull, and my sight shut off. I could vaguely hear shouting in the distance. I felt myself being picked up, my arm slung around someone’s neck, and my feet dragged underneath me.

            “Come on, wake up!” Kalin’s voice rung in my ears, but I couldn’t speak. Whenever I tried to open my mouth, the words caught in my throat like it was filled with cotton. Finally, I was propped up against a wall, feeling him slide next to me.

            “That’s one nasty hit. What happened to you two?” It was Bolt, Bolt Tanner. Kalin must have brought us to the rec room.

            “Guards decided to pummel us,” Kalin explained. “Who are you?”

            “My name’s Bolt, and your friend Rain and I are already acquainted.”

            “Bolt… I’m Kalin.”

            “Kalin! Good name. You must be the fugitive.”

            “…Huh?” I tried to say something, but it came out as a low groan. Kalin stroked my hair. “Rain? Come on… Wake up!”

            “Rec time’s over,” a voice in the distance yelled. “Back to your cells!”

            “I’ll take you back so you can rest. You’ll be fine, you’ll be fine…”

            Was he trying to convince me… or himself? He lifted me up. We must have made it back to the cell uninterrupted, because soon I felt myself being placed on the cot. My head was throbbing with pain, and my eyes still refused to open. My only option was to rest.

            I woke up only a few hours later, but this time, my vision worked. I tried to prop myself up, but my head throbbed and my muscles gave, making me fall flat again. Beyond the barred window, the moon was high in the ink sky.

            “You’re awake!” Kalin knelt beside me. “How are you feeling?”

            “Can’t… move,” I murmured.

            “That’s okay,” he told me. He helped me to slowly sit up, then turned me so my back was against the wall and my legs were hanging off of the bed. “You’ll be better in no time.”

            I let out a weak laugh and uttered, “Thank you.”

            “You don’t have to thank me,” he explained. “You and me, we’re partners. We’ve got to stick together, because we’re all each other has!”

            “But we don’t always have to be alone… We have friends.”

            He scowled. “So they can betray us, too?”

            “He didn’t-”

            “Whatever. Hey, isn’t that your disk?” It had appeared on my arm again. “You’re lucky you got to keep it. They took mine and my deck away…”

            Though I couldn’t lift my head to see his face, I could feel his sorrow. “I’m… sorry, partner.”

            “Hey, cheer up!” He sat next to me. “One day, we’ll be out of here. I swear!”

            “How can you be so sure?”

            He scooted closer so our shoulders brushed. “I made a promise to protect you, and I intend to keep it – whatever it takes.”

            Right… the guardian angel. _My_ guardian angel.

            “And uh, while I don’t exactly support your decision to help me out, that trick you pulled on the Securities with your runner was _badass_. The looks on their faces..! You are just the best. I love you.”

            Blush blossomed on my cheeks. “Th-thanks. I love you, too.”

            “So! I think it’s your turn to rest up. I’ll give you some space.” My partner helped me to lie back down and moved to the other bed. My eyes finally closed, and sleep overtook me.

            Every day was more or less the same as the last. Whatever we tried, the guards targeted us like Kalin had guessed. We’d always go to sleep damaged… I more than him, usually.

            Each time they hurt me, a little more light left Kalin’s eyes. He resisted less and less every passing day. Eventually he gave up on fighting back, and when he did, I stopped trying with him.

            That night, I couldn’t go to sleep. We’d been there for weeks. Existence and pain were becoming one. I had to do _something_ to restore my partner’s hope, but what?

            My duel disk appeared on my arm for the first time since that guard had knocked me out. I felt like hitting it for how useful it would have been weeks ago. I summoned my Thunder Dragon, who used his electricity to open the electronic lock on the door.

            I hid in the shadows and dashed through the hall and down the stairs. Upon peeking in the rooms, I discovered where they held inmate decks. I scrambled through the drawers.

            Opening one revealed his old headband. I grabbed the deck, tied the headband around it, slammed the drawer shut, and headed out the door. I dropped the deck in my back pocket. I reached our cell and slipped inside; it locked automatically.

            I turned and gasped. Kalin was collapsed on the ground and shaking uncontrollably. I dropped to his side and held him up.

            “Kalin? What’s wrong?” He held up a trembling hand, pushed some of my hair back, and smiled.

            “It’s my time to go,” he muttered. “I’ll miss you.”

            “What do you mean? Kalin..?” Tears welled in my eyes and slid down my cheeks, and I caught his hand as it fell.

            “You’ll be okay… I love you…”

            “No, don’t leave me! Kalin? Hey, p-partner?” His hand went limp. I fell against his chest but there was no heartbeat there. Nothing, nothing was left and this was so cold, so empty, so broken, so _silent_ -

            His hand dissolved between my fingers, and a dark fire enveloped his body. I dropped through the flames and sobbed. My face hit the ground, and I sprawled out on the floor.

            I screamed, “ _Kalin_!”

            _I found you._

            The strange voice resounded in my mind, but I didn’t care. My tears dripped onto the floor. “This can’t be happening, this can’t, this- Kalin-!”

            A massive roar shattered the nighttime silence. The mental voice exclaimed, _Stand!_

            Why?

            It didn’t matter.

            Nothing mattered.

            A red blur soared through the window and straight at me, slamming me against the wall. All went black, and the last thing I felt were more tears falling in my lap.


	11. Battling Nihility

            I awoke strapped to a chair, my hands and feet bound. My eyes stung from tears. My body ached from constant beatings, and my spine was pained after being slung against the wall of my cell.

            “Looks like you’re finally awake!” It was that man, Armstrong, again. “Now, I don’t want to have to hurt you… Ah, who am I kidding? I’d love to hurt you, but I’ll let you go as long as you tell me one little thing. Where is your friend? His mark isn’t showing up on the tracker!”

            “He died,” I croaked. “He’s… gone.”

            “Haha, like I haven’t heard that one before! Tell me where he is and how he escaped, and you’re free to go! Come on, let’s not make this hard, lil’ girl.”

            My head hung low. Something deep within wanted to fight back but it was buried by raw emptiness. “I felt it with my own hands. His heart stopped. He is dead.”

            “Yeah? You think you’re so clever?” he scoffed. “Tell me this: if he died, where’s the body?”

            “It… disappeared in a flurry of dark flames.”

            “Well, this story just gets better and better, doesn’t it!” He unleashed his sadistic laugh then gave me the evil eye. “Look, if you won’t tell me, then I’ll have to force you. I love getting to use new tech!”

            He reached forward and clicked a button. I heard the whirring of machinery as bright lights sparked around me. Agony exploded throughout my entire body as if lightning was caught underneath my skin. I screamed and tore at my bonds fruitlessly. The lights blinded me, and the pain was too intense to focus on anything else. I screamed and cried in vain.

            Finally, the machine stopped. The lights turned off, but they left my vision spotted. I lowered my head and closed my eyes. Armstrong’s voice penetrated my deadened hearing.

            “Are you ready to tell me now?” His beady eyes scanned me, waiting for a reaction.

            “I already told you,” I whimpered, my voice almost lost. “I just saw him die and disappear.”

            “Still not talking? You will suffer.” He turned it on again for a much longer time than the last. After it was finally over, he asked the same question, but I could only give the same answer. Countless hours later, the machine shut off.

            “That’s enough for today! I’m tired, and I’m sure she’ll be fine waiting until tomorrow to continue. Throw her back in her cell.” Guards appeared, unbound me, and caught me before I could collapse. They tossed me onto the floor of my cell and slammed the door shut.

            Maybe it was a little silly, but all I wanted at that very moment was to crawl into my partner’s lap and feel his embrace.

            Instead it was freezing cold and my tears puddled around my face. I heaved myself up as best I could. The closest thing to me was the windowsill, so I leaned against it, resting my head against a bar and watching the stars. My shaking fingers dug into the skin of my upper arms.

            I had to get out. I couldn’t survive that again. If I stayed, I’d end up like…

            I slammed the back of my hand against the window bars. How could Armstrong do that to another human being? How could he… enjoy it? Air hissed in through my teeth. My disk. My duel disk was back.

            The top card was Alien Shocktrooper. I placed it in the monster zone. The lizard-like alien materialized wielding a sword. I didn’t have to command him. He sliced through the top and bottom of the bars covering the window. The monster boosted me up so I could crawl outside. Sympathy was dragging down his expression. I wished I could appear strong for him, but-

            I was a terrible liar. I whispered, “Thank you, friend.”

            Shocktrooper returned to my deck. Holding the bottom of my window, I slowly lowered myself to the next one. I repeated this measure until I was directly across from the top of the wall surrounding the Facility. I turned and leapt with all my strength, just reaching the lip of the wall. I hauled myself over and scaled down. My feet landed on solid ground next to the coast.

            Then I fled. I ran and ran along the shore until I had made it to the neon lights of New Domino City. Dark waves lapped at the rocks below me. I collapsed against the wall separating me from the ocean. The dark mass across the bay was my true home: the Satellite. I would not be able to go back.

            “There’s nothing for me anymore. Nothing. This world would be better off without me.” My gaze fell to the shoreline far below me. “I should end it all. I should…”

            I pulled Kalin’s deck out of my back pocket and raised my head high. “What would he say now? Ugh, what am I doing? I can’t give up. He would never!”

It was all the convincing I needed. I plopped down next to the wall, planning to take a moment’s rest from the pulsing pain. The exhaustion was too much to overcome; I passed out.

            An unfamiliar voice in my mind woke me. _Get up! They’ll find you here!_

            My eyes flew open to see the town bustling with activity. I struggled to my feet and glanced around. I sprinted through back alleys and streets to end up in the slums of New Domino City. Securities seemed to be patrolling everywhere. I had run out of breath by the time I reached the slums. Even there they searched. I ran until I couldn’t anymore. My legs gave out in front of a run-down apartment complex, and the world faded to black.

            “Hey! Come on now, wake up! You should be fine by now, girl.” The voice dragged my consciousness back. A man with dusty brown hair stood over me. He wore a dull green overshirt with the sleeves ripped off over a long-sleeved white shirt and jeans. “Don’t worry, I’m here to help. The name’s Blister. I’m a bit of a technology expert, so I managed to get rid of the tracking on that mark of yours, little escapee.”

            “The… what now?”

            He gave a slight laugh to my troubled, questioning look. “Yeah, you’re out of it. What happened to you?”

            I groggily recounted my story from when I was stuck in the Facility. I did my best to leave out any traces of my partner. Partner? What partner? I had nothing and no one. I was nothing.

            He scowled when I told him about being tortured. “That’s… inhumane. No, more – that’s goddamned _evil_. So what if you’re a Satellite? You should stay here a while, with me. Don’t worry; I’ll take care of you. Staying on the down low will throw them off your track and, eventually, they’ll stop the search altogether. I’ve seen this kind of thing before.”

            “…Are you sure? You could get in a lot of trouble.”

            He chuckled. “Most people would take the help without any worry for me. You must be a good kid.”

            My gaze dropped. “I’m… a Satellite. I have a mark…”

            “Looks aren’t everything. Hate to say it, but I figured Satellites would be the opposite of how you’re acting.”

            Because I was Satellite trash. I didn’t belong here… or anywhere. I kept staring at my bare toes. “Why are you helping me?”

            “I make a hobby out of screwing Security over. Here, take this,” he said, handing me a steaming cup. “It’ll help to wake you up.”

            “What is it?”

            “Try it,” he pushed. I took a sip and spit it out.

            “Ugh, gross! What the hell is it?”

            “Hah, it’s coffee! Come on, just ignore the bitter taste and drink it! You need it.” His brown eyes bore in to me. “Trust me.”

            After all he’d done for my sake? “Fine!”

            I held my nose and downed the whole cup. He watched with a steady smile. “Great! Now, I need to know one last thing. What’s your name?”

            “Rain, like the stuff that falls from the sky,” I said while pointing up.

            “Rain, huh? That’s a pretty cool name. Rain, I’ve got some things to do, so you stay here while I’m away, okay? Just don’t… break anything. Good-by.”

            “Wait!”

            “What is it?”

            “Um… thank you.” Tears welled in my eyes as I remembered the first time I said those words. Blister grasped my shoulder and looked me square in the eyes.

            “I know it’s rough. I’ve been in a place like that, too, but you have to move on. Rest up, Rain, ‘cause I really think you need it after all you’ve been through. There’s no need to thank me.”

            I released a shaky breath. “Okay. I want you to know… I appreciate what you’re doing, that’s all.”

            Blister set his hands on his hips and looked to the ceiling. “Who would’ve thought I’d stumble upon the one saint of the Satellite? Rain, you’re a good kid. I’ll make sure Security doesn’t get their hands on you again. You can bet on it.”

            “…I really hope so, Blister.” I lowered my head. After he was gone, I laid on his couch. The aching in my limbs was constant, and my eyes were strained. I closed them and focused on my breathing, not letting my thoughts wander on those rabbit trails they so loved.

            _Why are you shutting those thoughts out? You should let them in. Pain will only make you stronger in the end._

            That voice… again? Great. On top of everything else, I was going crazy.

            “I’m back!” Blister’s voice dragged me out of my thoughts. “Did you miss me?”

            “Yeah,” I told him. “Being alone is boring… and creepy.”

            “Haha, I agree. Especially in this dump, eh?”

            “Oh… I-I didn’t mean it like that…”

            “I know,” he said, letting loose another laugh. “You know, you’re pretty funny.”

            “More like fun to mess with,” I uttered.

            “Same difference! Come on, that’s not so bad, is it? So, what do you think of the place?”

            “I… haven’t looked around.” My eyes drifted across the room. His main desk was littered with technological tools. A lone table was tucked into a corner. The only item decorating it was a dusty old picture, which was unlike his cluttered desks.

            Blister scrutinized my movements as I neared the photograph. I picked up the frame and blew off the dust to see a young Blister palling around with someone else. “Who is this?”

            “That’s nothing.” He took the picture from me and placed it face down on the table. “Just an… old friend.”

            “Friend, huh? I won’t ever… see my friends again. Hey, what’s this card?” Machina Sniper was tucked in the back of the frame. “Shouldn’t this be in, like, a deck?”

            “Put that down.” I did as I was told. My focus remained on the card, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw Blister scanning me up and down. “What do you mean about your friends?”

            “…They’re Satellites, and I can’t ever go back. Security would be hunting me over there even if I did manage to cross the ocean. The way I live… will never be free, Facility or not.”

            “Hey, chin up. They’ll drop your chase, and I know ways you can get back to the Satellite!” Blister watched my unchanging, empty expression. “Look, I know what it feels like. There’s a story behind that card. Once upon a time, there was a guy named Blister and his best friend named Aero. They were tag team duelists, the best in the land. One day, a duel went haywire, and their runners were split up. Instead of trying to save his friend Aero, Blister turned away to save his own skin and watched Aero crash. Aero and Blister didn’t talk for a while, and later Aero sent Blister that card to show further hatred. The end.”

            “Are you saying…” I inhaled a shaky breath. “You have a best friend out there who _survived_ , and you won’t even reach out to him like he did to you? And you think we’re _alike_?”

            “Reach out? Who would want to be friends with a coward like me?”

            “A coward who’s putting himself at risk for some fugitive?” His mouth twitched down. “Yeah, you’re a coward. Not because of the crash, though. You’re a goddamned coward because you won’t speak up for your best friend! I mean, if I had a chance to speak to him again..!”

            Blister thinned his eyes. “To who? One of your friends?”

            “…Yeah.” The flare of anger sizzled under a waterfall of emotional void. “You should count yourself lucky he’s still alive. This is time you’re wasting. This is time you’ll regret when he’s gone for good.”

            “I’m sure his life is better off without me in it! Friendship isn’t possible for someone like me, and it shouldn’t be.”

            “…I consider you a friend, Blister.”

            He brushed the comment aside like a fly. “Yeah, right! I’m just being hospitable to a person who won’t get that anywhere else, here at least.”

            “You’re like a dysfunctional ex-girlfriend.” Speaking from experience.

            “You complain too much. Look. It’s dark, I’m tired, and so are you. I’m going to sleep. I suggest you do the same.”

            “Okay then, sleep on it and tell me I’m right in the morning.”

            “You’re one stubborn Satellite,” he muttered, and I caught a quirk in his mouth – a smile he was holding back.

            I eventually gave way and settled down to let sleep envelop my thoughts and movements. It was the deepest sleep I’d had in weeks. There remained a cavernous emptiness within me. I tried to ignore it but every moment it threatened to drag me down again, the nothing cold empty silence-

            “Wake up, sleepyhead. It’s morning!”

            “Nngh…” I massaged my temples. “Morning, Blister. Well?”

            “Well what? I brought you some breakfast. Chow down.” He dropped a bagel on the table in front of me.

            “Th-thanks.” I grabbed it and took a bite.

            “So, I’ve been thinking about what you said,” he told me.

            “And?”

            “Nothing yet,” he said. “Stay tuned. I have more business to take care of, so stay here. Catch you later.”

            “…Okay. Good luck with… that.” I was left there, staring at an empty plate. I was alone and had to battle the nothing again. My disk was on my arm, and I retrieved my deck. I sifted through the cards time and time again until I had memorized every one.

            Three cards stood out to me: The Eye of Timaeus, The Claw of Hermos, and The Fang of Critias. They weren’t spell, trap, or monster cards. They didn’t have any descriptions. Whenever I drew them in the Satellite, they were just… dead weight.

            Funny. Now I was the dead weight.

            “Back,” I finally heard him call.

            “Thank the stars,” I told him as he shut the door behind him. “You know, I really need to get out of here before I die from boredom.”

            Or drown in the nothing cold empty silence-

            “Tough luck. The search for you is still at large. If you were to go out now-”

            A knock upstairs interrupted him. “Hello in there! We’ve come to search this building for a missing fugitive. We have reasons to believe an escaped prisoner is finding refuge here. Open the door now or we’ll kick it down. You have until the count of ten.”

            We looked at each other in bewilderment. He whispered, “Don’t worry. There’s a good place for you to hide.”

            “One.” He guided me to the corner of the room and picked up a section of carpet to reveal a trap door. “Two.”

            “Coming,” Blister hollered. He whispered, “Hide down here until I get you. You’ll be fine, I promise.”

            He opened the trap door, and I hopped inside. Pure darkness enveloped me once the door closed. A voice upstairs hollered, “Took you long enough!”

            “Yeah, yeah.” That was Blister. It sounded like there was only one guard, and the footsteps I heard proved me right. “Look all you want. There’s no fugitive here. I wouldn’t trouble myself with any more than I have to.”

            He sure was a good liar. I hoped. Not that I would know…

            “A warrant’s a warrant.” The Security had entered this room. I heard his steps creak throughout the floor then stop right above me. I held my breath and prayed. “Well, I think that’s enough. Good day, sir, and sorry for the trouble.”

            I released a shaky breath.

            “Have a good one.” Their steps echoed up until the door slammed. Moments after, Blister opened the trap door to let me out. “Close call, but no problem. They won’t be back. You sure you haven’t gone out?”

            “Positive. Just standing outside would be much less boring than sitting down here, but I never left. Haven’t even left this room since I woke up here.”

            “Fine, fine, I believe you. You’ll have to spend a lot of time down here, though. I hope you have a lot to think about.”

            “I think I can manage.” Huh. I was picking up this whole ‘lying’ thing. If Kalin could see me now.

            If Kalin could…

            Blister asked, “Something on your mind?”

            I twirled a strand of white hair around my finger. “Nothing I want to talk about.”

            “I understand. I’m going to tuck in for the night, so I’ll see you tomorrow. Feel better. Oh and, before I forget, there’s food stocked in that cabinet. Take what you want, but not _too_ much, all right?”

            “Okay, good night.” He left, so once again I was alone with my thoughts. I turned off the light and lay on the couch, thinking about anything but the encroaching nihility. I dug up happy thoughts like Crow’s dream and held onto them with any strength I had left. If the City and the Satellite connected, maybe I could have a home again.

…But what’s the point without my partner? Without the other half, there was no home. I only had this… hole…

            It went on for weeks. Every day, he’d have things to do, and I wrestled my emotions alone. I often nagged him about Aero; it was a purpose, at least. He brushed it aside, but I could see he was breaking.

            Blister said the search was lasting far longer than it should have been, especially since my charges weren’t serious. What could be so special about me? I was just some piece of Satellite trash with no memories yet nothing but memories.

            “Hey!” It was late in the day, and Blister had been out for nearly all of it. Now, he was finally making his daily entrance. “I see you’re doing well. Look, we need to talk. It’s about Aero. I want to strike a deal with you, Rain. I haven’t dueled since that day, and I see you sifting through that deck of yours like you’re wanting one. If you win, I’ll reach out to my ex-friend. If you lose… you’ll leave me alone about it, okay?”

            A duel? Could I really..? “Are you sure you can duel without your- p-partner?”

            He loaded his standard white duel disk and set it on his forearm. “Oh, I’m sure. How about it, Rain?”

            If he could, maybe I could, too. The lever on my disk swung out, and the fields sliced outward.

* * *

 

**“duel start.”**

 

            My normal shout was reduced to an unmotivated mutter. I should’ve scolded myself for the lack of energy. Blister was giving me an odd look. I said, “You take the first move.”

            “Okay! I’ll summon a monster in face-down defense position, set a spell or trap, and end my turn! Damn, this feels weird after so long.”

            I drew my hand and froze. This was a different deck. Not just any. This was the one I used with…

            “Hey, Rain. Anything going on up there? You do know how to duel, don’t you?”

            “…I think I do. I summon Dragunity Aklys. Its effect lets me special summon a ‘Dragunity’ from my hand, so I choose Dragunity Militum. Aklys is equipped to him by his effect.” A winged warrior appeared wielding a steel sword. A red dragon wearing silver armor ending in a long spike attached to the other monster’s blade, transforming it into a lance. “Militum attacks the face-down monster.”

            “Tough luck! Militum’s 1700 doesn’t beat my Machina Defender’s 1800 defense.” My life dropped to 3900. “Defender’s ability also lets me add a special monster to my hand: Commander Covington! Hey, I think I’m getting the hang of this again.”

            A ghost whispered in my ear. _“This is normally the part where you’re pulling a combo to kick their asses into next week.”_

            I couldn’t. I couldn’t do this without him. The cards I held blurred and my vision refused to focus. The one I held – was it a trap? “I- I set one card face-down and end my turn.”

            “I start by summoning Machina Sniper and destroying your Dragunity Militum!” 1800 overcame 1700, both of my monsters shattered, and my life fell to 3800. The little red dragon remained on the field and stared at me.

            “Oh, right. Um, Aklys’s effect destroys a card on your field once he’s destroyed as an equip monster. I choose Machina Sniper.” Aklys shot forward like a javelin. It ripped through the tan-colored robot Blister’s friend had gifted him.

            “Ouch! That’s heartless of you, Rain. I thought you cared about me and Aero, but you go destroying the card we care about?”

            “Heartless.” I stared at the floor. “I guess I… am.”

            “Jesus, it was just a joke. Chill out. I end my turn.”

            Trembling fingers managed to draw a card from my deck. What was I supposed to do? I couldn’t see what the cards say. I was useless.

            _“_ _You always pull out the win,”_ commented my ghost. _“You’re the greatest duelist ever.”_

            Clarity broke through with his words. A kindling of confidence sparked within. “I summon Dragunity Pilum and use its effect to special summon Dragunity Angusticlavii! Pilum is equipped to him. While Angusticlavii has a Dragunity equipped, he can attack with piercing damage! Let your arrow fly! Destroy Machina Defender!”

            The blue-winged birdman pulled back his bowstring and released. His 2100 attack continued through Defender’s 1800 defense, lowering Blister’s life points to 3700. “I end my turn.”

            “You’re looking like a real duelist now, Rain! Alright. I send Machina Soldier and Commander Covington from my hand to the grave to special summon Machina Fortress! Destroy Angusticlavii!”

            “I activate my trap, Waboku. I take no battle damage and my monster isn’t destroyed.”

            “Tricky, tricky,” Blister muttered. “I’ll set a face-down and pass this turn to you.”

            Okay, it was possible. I could do this alone. “I activate the field spell, Dragon Ravine. Its effect will let me send a Dragunity from my deck to the grave. I choose Dragunity Brandistock. Now I summon Dragunity Darkspear, a level three tuner monster, in defense position!”

            “Woah, check it out,” Blister said. “You gonna Synchro Summon? I never got the hang of it.”

            Synchro Summoning… right. I was alone this time, but it would be just like back then. I could tune Darkspear and Angusticlavii…

            _“Rain… you’re definitely not alone. In fact, I… I don’t know what I’d do without you.”_

            I’d Synchro Summon Dragunity Knight Barcha, which was the same monster I used to defeat the pair Kalin and I faced against together…

            _“Now, now. What self-respecting partner would let you do that alone?”_

            Since Pilum and Brandistock were in my grave along with two other Dragon tuners to boost Barcha’s attack…

_“Now that you’ve got me, you’ll never have to be alone. Aren’t you lucky?”_

            Shut up. Shut UP, goddammit! You’re not helping me, you’re not my partner, you’re not anything but DEAD, so shut the hell up!

            The single card in my hand fluttered to the ground.

            “I end my turn.”

            “Oh, damn! I didn’t see that coming!” Blister swiped his card off his deck. “Watch closely, Rain, this’ll be sick! I activate Soul Release to remove from play some cards in the graveyard. Machina Soldier, Sniper, and Defender, Commander Covington, and your Dragunity Militum are out of the game. Next I’ll activate my trap, Return from the Different Dimension! Though I lose half my life points, I can summon every one of my removed monsters to the field. Commander Covington’s effect activates! Machina Soldier, Sniper, and Defender go to the grave to special summon my strongest monster, Machina Force!”

            A massive blue-green mecha slowly rose onto Blister’s field. Its many rockets, guns, and blades explained its whopping 4600 attack strength. “Hell yeah, feels great to pull off a combo like that! Machina Fortress destroys your Dragunity Darkspear, and at the cost of 1000 life points, Machina Force can attack your Angusticlavii.”

            My dragon and birdman shattered. I was empty, and my head hung low. My life points dropped to 1300. “I know things look bad, Rain, but… they’re about to get worse! Machina Force separates back into Machina Sniper, Soldier, and Defender by his own effect! I’ll finish this duel off using the card my friend sent me: Machina Sniper, direct attack!”

            My life hit zero. I lost. Maybe a part of me existed that would congratulate him; maybe a version of me existed that would pack my cards up and call for a rematch.

            It didn’t feel like I existed at all.

            Blister was laughing. “I’d forgotten how fun dueling could be! It’s not quite the same without Aero, though. I know we had a deal, but… I may hit him up after all! I really miss that guy. When we worked together, we could pull off even greater combos than that. Woah, hey! What’s the matter, Rain?”

            Silent tears cascaded down my cheeks. Blister grasped my shoulders. “Hey, it’s alright. It was just a duel. I’m sure I just got lucky, or-”

            “I had a partner.” My voice was less than a whisper, and it sounded so detached, like someone else had said it. Some other Rain, some girl from the Satellite who still had fight left in her. “I had a partner, too, but he died. I can’t do anything without him. I’m a disappointment. He would be so ashamed.”

            “Oh, God, I’m so sorry. I wouldn’t have asked you to a duel if I knew. Look, wherever he is, I’m sure he’s proud of you just having the strength to duel in the first place!”

            “He’s not anywhere, Blister. He’s dead. He’s-” I’d never hold him again, never hear his laugh, never see his smile, never, never, never-

            I fell on my hands and knees. My weeping dampened my dropped card. Blister was speaking but I couldn’t hear his words over the heartbeat-lacking silence.

            A dragon’s roar rose above the nihility my mental state had become. The floor disappeared. Blister’s apartment became empty blackness. Red light from above caught my eye; it originated from the forearm of a young girl drifting down from above. Her long, seafoam-green hair floated as a trail behind her. She wore cotton pink pajamas. Her gray-gold eyes had the tilt of concern. “Um, hey, are you okay? I was sleeping, and in my dream, I heard you crying.”

            I glanced around but the darkness was infinite. “What… is this?”

            She bit her lip. “This is probably something caused by that Crimson Dragon thingy. Are you a Signer, too? Oh… there’s nothing on your arm, huh? Guess you aren’t. What’s wrong? You got your card all wet. This is the Threatening Roar trap. Your disk is active. You’re in a duel, aren’t you? Look, you could set the card right there.”

            The girl reached for my card zone, but I withdrew my arm. “I already lost. Who are you? What were all those words you said? Crimson Dragon, Signer..?”

            “Oh! My name is Luna.” She smiled at me and held tight to the card I hadn’t had the strength to play. “I think the Dragon sent me here to help you. You must be connected to him, too, because I can feel your sadness. It’s just like with Mr. Amnesia Man! Why are you sad? Is it because you lost your duel? It’s okay. My brother cries when he loses, too.”

            I swallowed several deep breaths over the course of her rambling. “You… talk a lot.”

            “Sorry! I don’t have any friends. Well, I have my brother, so I can talk to him, but he does most of the talking, and woah, there’s a crazy echo in here. Echo!” She giggled as her voice bounced back to her. “Hey, what’s your name?”

            “It’s… Rain.” My throat was strained from sobbing. “I’m sorry I woke you up.”

            “Huh? You’re _sorry_? You look like you need some help! Losing a duel isn’t a big deal.”

            “It wasn’t the duel. I’ve lost something far more important, something I can never get back. Without him, I’m only one-half, and that’s all I’ll ever be.”

            “That’s kinda how I feel about my brother.” Luna rested on her knees beside me. “Like, he’s the one out there living life while I’m stuck inside because of my heart condition. I can’t even duel without passing out halfway through. I’m a bother to everyone around me.”

            “A… bother..?” I blinked at her. “Well, you’re not a bother to me. You kind of saved me just now. I was about to go crazy.”

            “It’s okay, Rain. Hey, I know! You can come to my house in the Tops. We’ll find your lost friend together.”

            “I… won’t ever be able to find him. He’s… he passed away.”

            “…Oh.” She lowered her head and, after a moment, raised her eyes to mine. “Well, if two halves make a whole, you and I should totally work together! We can be friends! Will you be my friend? Will you?”

            No one could fill the void my partner left, but… she’s being so kind to me. “I’ll be your friend. I don’t know if you want me to, though. I’m a Satellite, and I have this criminal mark.”

            “Yeah, but so was the guy we met, and he was awesome. For real, Rain? We’re friends?”

            “…Yeah. We’re… friends.” Her grin was huge, and the sight brought the smallest of smiles to my lips. I didn’t think I would smile again. “Thank you, Luna. Hey. Keep that card for me, would you? I’ll teach you how to use it one day. You’ll make it through your next duel, and you’ll win.”

            Luna disappeared, and I phased back into reality. A gruff voice in my mind said, _The third crimson thread has been woven between the Vessel and the Signers._

What the hell? The voice again? No response came. Oh, whatever. Since I was back at Blister’s place, I retrieved my cards, shuffled them into my deck, and deactivated my duel disk. Threatening Roar had disappeared, so I guessed the vision was real. “Sorry, Blister. Thanks for the duel. I hope you keep your partner close.”

            “…I will. If you want to talk, I’m here.”

            “Thanks, but I don’t.” I had my eyes hidden, but I imagined he was looking on in worry and sympathy.

            “I, uh, wanted you to know you’re the best thing that’s happened to me in a while. The saint of the Satellite.”

            “More like shadow,” I muttered. Before he could ask, I said, “I’m tired. Might hit the hay.”

            “I understand. Good night, Rain, and thanks for everything. I mean it when I say I’m here if you need to talk.” He shut the door behind him, and I went back to the couch.

            Why was I so tired? I hadn’t done anything. I never do anything. The exhaustion was like the post-torture pain. I groaned, waved away my doubts, and collapsed on the couch.

            It was the first time I had dreamed since the Facility. The night vision was almost indistinguishable from reality. A mountain towered over me, and its peak pierced the dark clouds gathering above. The dragon remained carved into the crag. The same woman’s voice from the last dream called to me. This time, I realized the voice belonged to the dragon.

            _You’re here!_ The voice was soothing and kind. My worries faded at its call. _I’ve awaited your arrival, young dragon. I am Ancient Fairy Dragon, and this realm is the Spirit World. This is where duel spirits reside in what used to be peace, but a dark force has disrupted the balance. They’ve imprisoned me here. I cannot protect my home! A Signer has been chosen to help me, but you must aid the young girl. It is your job to protect your Signers, is it not?_

            “Signers? What’s a Signer?”

            _You have not been instructed yet? Or maybe… Surely I have not summoned the wrong person to my realm? No, you are the young dragon. I can feel its presence within you. Listen closely, child. There are five humans with glowing red birthmarks on their arms who you must protect at all costs._

            “Luna had one of those birthmarks,” I muttered.

            _You know Luna? Excellent! She is the one chosen to aid us. Your job for now is to defend her and the other Signers._

            “Uh, sure. But what about you? Don’t you need my help?”

            _We can last a little longer. It must not be time yet. Just please, promise me you will remember to help those humans and my world!_

For my friend Luna? Of course. “I promise, Ancient Fairy Dragon, and I _always_ keep my promises. Who, exactly, are these Signers?”

            _You will find them in time. Your destinies are tied. Good-by, young dragon. Destiny – yes, I can see now why you were chosen._

I tried to ask what I was chosen _for_ , but I was catapulted out of the dream. I shot up, eyes wide, and grabbed at my temples. Was that real? Voices in my dreams, voices in my head..! What’s happening to me?

            I couldn’t stay in the stuffy room. I had to get out, to see the sun just once. I threw off my blanket and flew outside. An elevator ascended to the main entrance, and I tore out the exit. The sun was high in the sky. The kiss of its warmth was the best feeling I could have wished for.

            “What are you doing out here?”

            Blister’s voice scared me out of my skin. “I, um-”

            “Decided to come up for once? Rain, why are you so stupid!”

            “I had a weird dream,” I admitted. “Something about the Spirit World.”

            “Spirit World? Never heard of it. Was it a nightmare?”

            “You could say that. Look, can I just stay out here a few minutes? I can’t go back right now. I _can’t_. If anyone shows up, I’ll be back before you can say, ‘Rain, you idiot!’”

            “Ugh, fine.” He brushed past me. I sighed and leaned against the side of the building.

            “Hello there.” The velvety voice originated from a man wearing a tan trench coat and wide-brimmed hat. He had been in the background while I was talking to Blister. He carried a golden duel disk, and I noticed I was wearing mine, too. Would he ask for a duel? “My name is Sayer, leader of the Arcadia Movement. I would like to offer you an exclusive invitation to the Movement due to your extraordinary abilities.”

            “No, thanks. I have too much on my plate already.” Blister told me about this Movement, how they were all psychic duelists. What would he want with me? There’s no way he could know about my power. The only ones who knew were the Satellites and the Securities.

            “I tried the easy way, but if you want to make this difficult…” He swiftly activated his disk and drew a certain spell from his deck: “Brain Control!”

            An invisible force collapsed upon my skull. I grasped the sides of my head, trying to ward it off, but it was too strong. My own consciousness failed me.

            I faded back in but couldn’t open my eyes. Only my ears held true to their purpose as I heard Sayer conversing with a woman. “She has connections to the Spirit World. Do you know what this means? We could wield such power as that! Our only obstacle is that she resisted.”

            “So I need to wipe her memories?”

            “Completely. She needs to be our puppet.”

            “As you wish, sir.” I heard a machine whirr to life and a sharp, searing pain stabbed through my brain. My life drained as I lost everything that had happened since my first day in the Satellite. Before I fell unconscious, a horrible realization struck me: I would be exactly like her again.

            No. No, not again. Please don’t let it happen again. Someone, anyone _help me_.

_“There is no dashing rescue on the way. There is no daring escape for you to find. You have nothing. You are nothing.”_

            Sayer was right. My team had shattered, my angel had fallen, and I was far away from home. I was nothing. All I had to my name was the nothing cold empty silence-

            Crimson light burned behind my eyes. A dragon’s growl rumbled my thoughts. The deep voice shouted a statement that shook me to my core.

            _WE REFUSE._


	12. Crimson Purpose

            _Wake up, Rain. We have work to do._ The deep, commanding voice rumbled throughout my thoughts. _You have a promise to keep._

            I immediately knew I was in the Spirit World once again. This time, though, I was sitting on paved stone. The sky above was an undisturbed azure. Stone buildings clustered around me, but though there were obvious signs of life, the area was dead silent.

            In front of me stood what looked like a tiny Dark Magician, a child. “Ah! You’re finally awake! Oh, thank goodness. I was beginning to wonder if you would ever wake up! Then how would I save Luna? She’s counting on me, trapped in that damp, dark fortress with all of those monkeys-”

            “Shut up for a second!” My voice came out nice and clear, as it should be. My thoughts were equally unclouded.

            Sayer took my memories away. He made me relive it all. He caused me such pain, and for what? Power? Now my memories were back, and he wasn’t taking them again. I’d make sure of it.

            I would end him.

            “Um, miss? I’m sorry if I offended you, or-”

            “No, you’re fine. What were you saying earlier? You mentioned Luna?”

            “Oh yes! She’s the only human to come to the Spirit World… Well, besides you. Wait, first things first, you do know that you’re in the Spirit World, correct?”

            “Yeah. I came here once and promised to save Ancient Fairy Dragon. I also have to protect these Signer people, apparently?”

            “Perfect! Ancient Fairy Dragon chose you, and conveniently, Luna is a Signer!”

            I tilted my head. “Do you… happen to know why I was chosen?”

            “I have an idea,” he said, tapping his chin. “Ancient Fairy Dragon commanded me not to tell you, though. Are you going to help Luna or not?”

            “Could you please tell me? I’ve lost my memory of my past, and-”

            He shook his head. “I can’t refuse a command from my master.”

            Well, there went that lead. “Where is Luna? I’ll save her.”

            “Well, er, it’s kind of complicated. There are these monkeys guarding the place. Their leader broke into the Spirit World, trapped Ancient Fairy Dragon with the help of his partner, and took over the whole duel monster realm by using negative energy! I _would_ use my tremendous abilities to save the place, but they stole my powers and trapped me in this tiny form. The only reason she was captured was because she protected me.”

            “Say no more. I’ll bust her out myself, no worries.” I made sure that my disk was strapped on my arm. I sifted through my deck to find that it was my original one. I picked two cards to back me up: Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Alien Shocktrooper.

            “What exactly do you plan to do?” I activated my disk and threw the cards on it. The dragon erupted a burst of white light, loosing its signature roar. The alien emerged in a sickly green light.

            “Stick close, Alien. Blue-Eyes, watch our back, please.” They let out affirmative grunts and roars.

            “Aren’t those just holograms to you humans?”

            “Not when I use them, uh…”

            “Oh! The name is Torunka. Nice to meet you.”

            “Likewise. I’m Rain. Where is this fortress?” Torunka pointed north, where the spires of a dark fortress pierced the black clouds overhead. Far to the south, east, and west, blue sky stretched to infinity. The dark clouds were growing, threatening to infect the entirety of the Spirit World. Golden sparkles in the east caught my eye. “What’s that tall, shiny thing over there?”

            “That? It’s the Gilded Gate. It prevents entrance and exit from a special realm created for the Legendary Knights, who saved and created this world. That place is like a heaven to them!”

            “Knights? Shouldn’t they be the ones saving the Spirit World?”

            Torunka fidgeted. “Y-yeah, but the Gilded Gate prevents them from helping. All they can do is watch.”

            “Some knights they are,” I grumbled. “You know this place better than I do. Take us on the best route to that fortress.”

            He led the way, and my dragon blasted any monkeys standing in our path. After climbing a mountain trail, we arrived at the dark castle that must have been the fortress Torunka mentioned. We exploded through the gates.

            “The dungeons are over here!” He pointed to a door to the right of the entrance. “Just through there and to the left! It may be locked, but-”

            My Shocktrooper broke down the door before he could finish his sentence. A girl screamed. “That’s you, right, Luna? Back up, Shocktrooper! Can’t you see you scared her?”

            My monster stepped away, and I caught a sad expression on his face. I felt bad about what I said but didn’t have time for regret. Luna crept into the open. I didn’t blame her for being so cautious.

            “Torunka, and Rain! Oh my gosh, I can’t believe it! You’re here!” She hugged my legs, and I rested a hand on her back. Luna’s hair was in pigtails and in bangs on either side of her face. She wore a pink jacket over a long sleeved red shirt with a yellow symbol on it. Her white shorts and sneakers had matching pink accents. She pulled a card out of her pocket and held it so it faced me. It was the trap, Threatening Roar. “I’ve kept it with me all these weeks! This is so crazy! How are you in the Spirit World?”

            Weeks? Whatever Sayer did to me must have kept me out of commission longer than I thought. I said, “Hey, friend.”

            The word widened her smile. “You saved me with your monsters! Are you a psychic duelist like Akiza? Is that why you can come to the Spirit World? Wait, but she can’t…”

            Aki? She’s the girl I met yesterday at the Fortune Cup. She’s a Signer, too? The same deep voice from earlier said, _All four crimson threads have been woven between the souls of the Signers and the Vessel._

That voice again? Just who was that?

            Silence. Sooo… Still crazy. Yep.

            “Ancient Fairy Dragon saw to Rain’s visit personally,” Torunka said. “She’s got to be pret-ty special.”

            Now he’s rubbing it in my face? That little shit! I crossed my arms. “While this is all stimulating conversation, we should probably get out of here.”

            “Oh, right! I’m sorry. Let’s go,” Luna said. Torunka led the way out. We made it back to the town’s center without incident. There was a fountain there, but it was broken down. Shattered rock littered the area, the remains of a statue that had once topped the fountain. A worn plaque above it read, “K I  T OF  E T Y.”

            “Whew! It sure is nice to have you back, Luna. I don’t know what I’d do if I hadn’t run into Rain here!”

            Luna lowered her head so her pigtails drooped. “Yeah, but I’m still trapped in the real world! Leo and I are stuck at the Arcadia Movement thanks to Sayer.”

            I smiled. “Well, isn’t that a coincidence. I’m there, too. I’ll help you.”

            “R-Really?” Hope lit up her face. “Why are you there?”

            “Long story. How do we get back?”

            _I’ll take you._ The soft voice rang in my ears again, and I was swept away. I was back at the location of my recurring dream. The dragon remained trapped in the crag.

            “Ancient Fairy Dragon!” Luna was standing beside me, in awe at the mountain.

            _Yes, it is I. Hello, children. Rain, your memories have finally returned. I’m sorry you had to experience such an ordeal because of me. The truth is that the Crimson Dragon has chosen you as its vessel. It has been your guide, your strength. You must use it to aid you, as you must aid it. There is a reason it chose you._

            “Wait… You mean that big red dragon… Those blurs..?” I observed my hands with wide eyes. “That thing is _inside of me_?”

            _It’s true._ The booming voice came back, which I acknowledged as the Crimson Dragon.

            “Wow, Rain, that’s amazing! The Crimson Dragon and you are the same. No wonder you’re so strong!”

            Ancient Fairy Dragon said, _Yes, but be certain not to reveal the Crimson Dragon is within you, Rain. That goes for you, too, Luna. Rain will be safer as long as the Crimson Dragon’s presence is unknown, and when the time is right, it will give you the upper hand._

            “…Can we go back now?” I tried not to show how unnerved I was. I never agreed to this. I never wanted to be a part of that Dragon!

            _It’s all right, Rain. We will return._

My eyes widened. This thing could hear my thoughts?

_Of course. We are one, young dragon._

            “I’ll find you, Luna,” I assured before we were thrown back into the real world. I awoke in one of the various rooms of the Arcadia Movement. I recalled the last thing I saw had been Yusei, who had triggered my memory.

            That meant Yusei and Jack were in the City. No, more than that. They’re both Signers! How did they get here? Why didn’t they ever tell us-

_Don’t you have more important things to focus on, Rain?_

I snapped back, “Stop butting into my thoughts! If you’re some almighty dragon, why don’t you explain everything?”

_We’ll have time for that after you save our Signers._

“Don’t lump me in with you. I never agreed to this!”

            _Rain, please. We are one and the same. Our mind and body are shared. A long time ago, you did agree to join me and save the Signers. That was before you awoke in the Satellite. If I had access to those memories, I would tell you why you joined me, but ever since we reunited I have lost them as well._

I scowled. “Then you’re no use at all. You can’t tell me anything! What gives you the right to command me?”

_I have no right. I cannot force you to do anything. The Signers are more important than the both of us. The fate of the world rests on their shoulders. That is why we must protect them._

            “The… fate of the world?”

_Yes. The Signers and we are the only ones able to prevent its destruction._

            I set my jaw. “That’s some heavy shit. Why would you pick someone like me? I have nothing.”

_If I remembered, I would tell you. Understand this: in the short time we’ve been together, you have proved yourself worthy of my power._

            I wanted to be cold towards him but the words warmed me. He had been here since the night I lost everything. That meant the Crimson Dragon saw me in my darkest hour and still called me worthy. “Okay, Crimson Dragon, if you’re going to keep bugging me… I’ll find your Signers!”

_Our Signers, young dragon._

“S-stop calling me that!” First thing’s first: get out of my Arcadia Movement uniform. I tore it off to show my old clothes underneath. I felt like myself again, and some Dragon wouldn’t take that away from me.

            The Crimson Dragon said, _I’m not trying to take anything from you._

            “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll keep those jaws shut.” The door was locked. They must have been waiting to wipe my memory again. My duel disk was back on my arm, so I had Strong Wind Dragon break us out. I returned the card and stalked out. Someone was crying for help behind a door down the hall.

            I creaked it open to find Carly Carmine, ace reporter on the other side. “Oh thank goodness! Hey, wait a second… You’re that girl from before! Well, thanks for saving me. I got caught trying to do a little bit of snoop work.”

            “You and I seem to have a similar ability,” I muttered. “We’re always in the wrong place at the wrong time. Make sure you get out of here before they catch you again. Sayer doesn’t hold back.”

            “I’m sure I’ll be fiiine. He doesn’t seem so scary! Hey, heeey! I finally recognize your face! You’re the girl from the wanted posters, the shadow! Omigosh, you _have_ to tell me about yourself! You seem way nicer than how dangerous they make you out to be.”

            “Shadow,” I murmured. “I used to be his shadow. Now I’m… nothing.”

            “Aw, hey, it’s okay. You’re starting to sound like Jack!”

            “Jack? You know Jack?”

            “Yeah!” She clasped her hands together. “We dueled together, and he was so… sweet!”

            I blinked. “Jack? Jack Atlas? _Sweet_?”

            “He’s a really good guy on the inside,” Carly said, her head tilted upwards as though she was speaking to herself more than me. The pink of her blush was stark against her porcelain complexion. “I know he seems really full of himself, but there’s way more to him than that! I think it’s just an act. With the way he treated me, there’s no way he’s actually… Um… Oh. Hey! We were supposed to be talking about _you_ , and you distracted me!”

            “You kinda distracted yourself.”

            “I- I did not!” She stared at the fine red carpet under our feet, the rose coloring of her cheeks darkening to scarlet. “What did you mean about not being a shadow anymore? And what’s an infamous Satellite fugitive doing with the Arcadia Movement?”

            “You ask too many questions.” The instant the statement passed my lips, a painful memory resurfaced, and I grimaced at the beautiful image of my fallen partner. “Sayer captured me. That’s why I’m saying you shouldn’t mess with the Movement. His psychic powers are crazy strong.”

            “Uh, woah. Sounds like there’s some shady stuff going on around here! Why would he capture you?”

            “Because I- oh, shit, Luna! I have to go, Carly!”

            “Alrighty! Thanks for the help again, shadow!”

            I had started in a sprint, but I paused. “It’s Rain, not shadow… not anymore. Stay safe, okay? You need to see Jack again.”

            The heat rising to her face inspired my smile. She scampered off in the opposite direction, muttering, “O-okay, Rain! And you and I will continue the interview next time we meet!”

            I actually… hoped I did run into her again. She seemed nice. Sounds like someone finally cracked through to Jack! Ha. It’s what he needed.

            The burden of the deck in my back pocket weighed heavier. It’s… what I needed.

            “Rain? Rain, is that you?” Luna’s voice sounded from the next door down. I unlocked the door. Her eyes were puffy from crying. “You really came!”

            She must have been so afraid. I’d help her, but not because of some Dragon! I said, “Of course I did, Luna. You’re worth it.”

            _You’re kinder than you seem, Rain._

            I snapped back using my mental voice: _Shut up, I said!_

            “I like that outfit better than the old one, by the way,” she pointed out. I laughed and agreed with her. “Rain, can you help my brother? He’s trapped in this glass thing! I’ve tried but can’t get him out.”

            Laying on a bed in the glass case was a boy who looked almost exactly like Luna. His hair was in a single ponytail with the same bangs. He wore Luna’s same outfit, but his was blue where hers was pink.

            There was nothing to smash the glass with. I gulped and decided to wing it. I brought up my fist and hit the glass with all of my might. It shattered and fell in shards to the floor. Leo wasn’t harmed, but my knuckles bled. I was careful not to step on any as I stood over him. I carried him in my arms.

            _Why didn’t you use your monsters, Rain?_

My… oh. I totally forgot. The blood drained from my face, and the Dragon laughed. Dammit… Why couldn’t he keep the commentary to himself? In the meantime, Luna beamed. “Wow, nice hit!”

            Aw. At least his Signers were supportive. “Okay, let’s leave.”

            We headed down the hall and ran into the last person I expected to see. Bolt Tanner, my friend from the Facility, matched my bewildered expression. He was with an odd-looking old man. Luna immediately recognized them both.

            “Bolt! Yanagi!”

            “ _Rain_? Why are you here?”

            “Hi, Bolt!” I ran up and gave the boy to him.

            The old man – Yanagi – gave me an inquisitive look. “What happened to Leo?”

            “I don’t know, I just found him like that. You’ll have to ask Luna on your way out.”

            Luna asked, “You’re not coming with us, Rain?”

            “Not yet,” I told them. “I’ll meet up with you later. The elevator is that way!”

            They followed my directions. An earthquake shook the whole building. I grabbed the railing beside me and peeked over. In the lobby, debris littered the floor. People were scurrying out of the Movement in a rush. _What’s going on?_

            I ran past the elevator. I tried all of the doors but they were locked. No sounds were coming from the other side. In the distance, I heard glass breaking. It came from near the elevator. I dashed back but stopped when I heard footsteps following me.

            “My, my… You’ve caused lots of havoc today, haven’t you?” Sayer stepped into the open. “I’m afraid play time is over. Return to where you belong.”

            “That’s where I’m going, thanks.”

            “Resistance again? You should know better. I think you’re starting to be more trouble than you’re worth.” Gold flashed as his disk activated and he tossed on a card. A ball a fire appeared and flew at me, hitting me square in the chest. I was tossed back against the balcony, and the glass between the rail and floor cracked.

            _You’re stronger than this, Rain. You can defeat him._ The Dragon’s voice fueled my strength, and I stood to my full height.

            “Still resisting? You’re a sucker for pain.” He conjured another fireball and it exploded against my abdomen. My body flew backwards, straight into the glass, which shattered upon impact. I reached up and grabbed the rail, but my left arm cut on broken glass still attached to the side. I yelped and released the railing. I was falling, falling and I made one final prayer in hopes of seeing my angel again when I would find my end.

            I landed two floors below.

            …What the hell? How was the walkway out so far? I glanced to the side. The edge was barely attached to the side of the building. I scrambled up to the top and leapt to a stable balcony. The rest fell behind me as I grasped the edge. I pulled myself up and caught my breath. Blood coated the underside of my forearm. I grasped it and started towards the exit. Then I stopped, realizing a duel was unfolding before me. The duelist closest to me was…

            “Aki?” Sweat poured down her face. She was dueling a woman with long black hair dressed in a black ensemble: a cloak over a shirt and skirt. Emerald markings like veins lined the cloak and skirt. She had green irises, and the whites of her eyes were solid black just like that man from the B.A.D. Area. She had a jewel in the middle of her forehead leading up to her hair. She also had red markings on her cheeks. On her arm was a glowing purple mark in the shape of a lizard.

            “You’ll pay for what you have done with your own life, Akiza!”

            “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Aki pleaded. “I didn’t hurt your brother!”

            The Crimson Dragon said, _That woman is a Dark Signer, one of our enemies. They will try to destroy our Signers, one of which is Akiza Izinski._

            Aki summoned Black Rose Dragon, and her red claw mark glowed on her arm. Right. That meant I had to get her out of here.

            “You think that dragon can save you now?” The lady summoned what must have been a powerful monster. I sensed a dark force looming near, and a growl developed deep in my throat. And what was that in my veins? It felt like my heat was about to explode.

_That is the crimson spark. It means our powers are merging. Your eyes change from blue to red, and you become stronger._

            I thought, _Mkay. That doesn’t explain why the hell I growled._

_…A small side effect._ A humongous neon green eye glared at us through the windows.

            “W-What is that?” Aki’s terrified voice brought me out of my trance. All of my hairs stood on end, and my body coiled to spring into action. Something about that thing just wasn’t _right_.

            Another screech sounded outside and a flash of orange caught my eye. Someone summoned another one? The building rumbled again and more rubble crashed past us. I then heard the sound of glass breaking and saw a familiar limp body fall with the debris.

            _“Sayer?”_ Aki’s broken voice almost made me feel bad about what happened to him.

            Almost.

            “Humph. It appears as though we’ll have to finish this duel another time. I’ll be sure to take your life the next time around! Unless, of course, you don’t make it out of this building. Good-by for now, Akiza Izinski.” The Dark Signer’s laugh followed her exit. Tears streamed down Aki’s face.

            “Sayer!” She almost leapt over the railing to die with him, but I held her back.

            “Aki! Keep your head. He wouldn’t want you to go dying now, would he?” She only answered with muffled sobs. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her to the elevator, which was luckily still operating. I shut the door and pressed the main floor button.

            “Rain? Did you see Sayer? He’s gone… He’s really gone!”

            “I’ve been there. I know you feel lost now, but he would want you to survive, Aki. We will _survive_.”

            “He would want…” Some color returned to her dark eyes, and she touched the silver clip holding her scarlet bangs back from her face. “That’s true, but… how could you know?”

            The emptiness beckoned, but the crimson spark fought it off. “You told me he was your angel.”

            “What difference does it make if he’s _dead_?” She was yelling now, her sadness transforming into rage. “He can never be my guardian again! No one can… protect me like Sayer could..!”

            “That may be the truth,” I said, ice sprouting in my veins. “And it may mean you will have an infinity of ‘never’s, and it may mean you will feel alone for… so long. The reality is different. You are not alone, and one day, you will smile again.”

            “You’re…” Her voice quivered. “Speaking from experience.”

            I met her blank brown eyes, her somber expression all but a reflection of my own. “Aki. I said it was my duty to protect you and that we would survive. I’m not a liar.”

            The elevator dinged, so I guided her out. The power shut down. We found our way through the dark, and the Arcadia Movement’s quakes became more frequent. I saw the exit ahead. “We’re almost there! Aki?”

            “That’s… He’s…” She ran ahead of me and stood over Sayer’s still body.

            How could I get her out of here now? She was broken, and I didn’t hold it against her. Maybe-

            I started towards her but heard an off sound. A huge chunk of debris was falling straight towards her. I jumped with all my might, pushing her out of the way just in time. The rock fell on me, crushing my lower body. Akiza could only watch. She stepped towards me, but I stopped her.

            “Don’t make this for nothing! Don’t stop, don’t come back! Just _run_!” Thankfully, she listened to me. She disappeared behind the exit doors. Relief washed over me despite my pain. Before I passed out, I saw a flash of red.

            _I knew I had chosen the right one._

            For a few moments, my consciousness faded back in; though my vision would not work, I could feel the warmth of someone carrying me. Excruciating agony flaring from my legs and arm forced me back into darkness.

            I opened my eyes, blinking at the bright white light in the room. My legs ached as I sat up. Scratches covered my arms, and there was a closed gash along my inner left forearm. My head was pounding, but I managed to stand. How had I gotten here?

            _I have nothing to tell you._

            Oh, boy. The ever-helpful Crimson Dragon. Yes, I was unstoppable with him by my side.

_Is that sarcasm? You would stoop so low?_

I rolled my eyes and stumbled through the door. The hall beyond was empty. Its wall was made of acrylic, revealing a huge room. The window was scratched on the inside. Through it, I saw a duel going on, and causing the damage was none other than Black Rose Dragon. A storm of rose petals tore around the duel monster.

            Aki.

            I ran into the giant room. Wind howled around me. Leo and Luna were spectating from afar, so I fought my way towards them. An older man was trying to reason with Aki, but he wasn’t the one dueling her.

            The one wearing the disk was none other than my old teammate, Yusei Fudo. Now he wore a navy blue riding jacket and red pads over his jeans. He had a criminal mark branded on his face. It matched Kalin’s, but Yusei’s was on the left side. Other than that, he was the same old Yusei.

            “You… You’re alive?” Aki’s voice rang strong and clear through the room, and her emotions thrummed through it. Tears welled in her eyes, hidden beneath an attempted mask of anger.

            Behind it was the… the emptiness. She ran over and wrapped her arms around me, sobbing on my shoulder. “I thought you were dead! I thought you were gone, all because of how stupid I was! I’m so sorry…”

            Aki held me at arms length, her hands on my shoulders. She looked me square in the eyes, and they betrayed her mask. Lost in a world that despised you merely because of what you were. That’s what I saw, and I understood. The psychic, the Satellite, the shadow; I wish I had the strength to rise above, but I-

            Was only one-half.

            A crimson thread was woven through our solidarity, and the mark on her arm glowed. She nodded as if she could hear my thoughts before releasing me. “Rain, thank you so much for saving me. If it weren’t for you, I…”

            “I’ve got your back, Aki. Remember? It’s my job to protect you.” I smiled, and she reflected it.

            “Rain?” Yusei dashed over and gave me a once-over. “Rain, I’m so happy to see you again!”

            “Yusei!” We held each other. I recalled the last time we had embraced, before Yusei tried to give himself up. He wasn’t a traitor. Kalin couldn’t have been more wrong. Kalin couldn’t…

            I pulled away and stared at my own feet. Yusei said, “What’s wrong? What happened, Rain?”

            “I… I can’t… I can’t talk about it. Just know how happy I am to have you back, teammate.”

            He tried to smile but couldn’t keep it up. “I’m here for you, Rain.”

            “Thanks,” I said, managing a small smile.

            “See Leo, _she’s_ the one who saved us.”

            “Her? No way!” The boy’s voice was high pitched. While Yusei and Akiza talked about something serious, the twins argued. “I don’t need some _girl_ to save me. I bet it was Bolt, or-”

            “Really? Because she broke that glass thing they put you in with one punch!”

            “Um, sorry to interrupt, guys,” I cut in, “but what exactly happened?”

            “Oh! Uh… Hi there! My name’s Leo and I heard you saved me, so thanks!”

            “You’re not a good liar,” I pointed out, smiling.

            He sputtered, “W-What’s that supposed to mean?”

            “Nothing if you want it to.”

            “Whatever!”

            “Akiza was in a coma,” Luna explained, ignoring her brother. “Something about emotional trauma because of a recent event. Those people over there are her parents. They didn’t give Akiza much attention when she was young. The man there is the senator, so he had to be away a lot of the time.

            “When Akiza first showed signs of her powers, he called her a monster. Now he regrets it, but it devastated Akiza. They had her sent away to the Duel Academy. The other kids were afraid of her and her powers, so she ran away to live on her own. She finally found the Arcadia Movement, the only place that was a safe haven for her.”

            My jaw dropped. “That’s terrible! Her own parents?”

            “No!” Aki yelled. “He was my only real friend, the only one who really understood me, and now he’s gone!”

            …That sounded familiar…

_The pain will only make you stronger,_ the Dragon said.

            _Mind your own business,_ I snapped back. _This brain is my real estate, not yours!_

_You_ are _my business, young dragon._

Well. He made a fair point.

            “We’re your friends too, Akiza!” I was glad not to be in Yusei’s position, having to keep her on our side. I should have been trying with him, but how could I convince her out of the same grave I’d dug myself?

            “Friends? Please. All anyone has ever done is judged me, resented me. How can I trust anyone?”

            “We only tried to help you Akiza, really. We cared about you,” Aki’s father told her. “We just didn’t know how! Please believe me. I love you.”

            I felt her anger sear all the way across the room. “All lies! I’m just a monster. That’s all I’ll ever be to anyone! Anyone except Sayer…”

            “Why would I be here if I didn’t care about you? That man never allowed us to see you! I missed you, my little Rose.” This time, Aki let him hug her. I leaned against the wall and hid my eyes as I listened to him comfort and care for her.

            The crimson spark sizzled against my heart. It was the opposite of the adrenaline from the other night. The Crimson Dragon said, _The Signers are linked in more ways than you know. Akiza Izinski’s emotional healing drew the Signers closer together. Their birthmarks are glowing and sharing her happiness among the others._

Weird. I didn’t feel particularly happy.

_You should_ , the Dragon said. _I’m afraid something from your past is holding you back._

_So you lied! You do know my past!_

            The Crimson Dragon growled. _I do not lie. Can’t you feel it, too? The outbursts of lost memories haunt me as they do you. This thought is screaming, ‘He will only use her again and toss her aside. She should not trust him.’_

_Why would I think that?_

_Why, indeed._

            “Yes, I knew it!” Luna exclaimed. Red light washed over the white walls from Luna, Yusei, and Aki’s forearms. “These marks are really a mark of friendship, too! An everlasting bond between us.”

            “Of course,” Yusei agreed, now standing beside us. “These marks brought us together. They couldn’t be wretched like Akiza thinks.”

            She was crying in her father’s arms. I asked, “Why would she think so?”

            “Her psychic powers are tied to her mark,” Yusei explained. “Say, Rain, you had power like that, too. Kalin told me about it. Are you a Signer?”

            The mention of his name made my expression flatten. “No way. You have one of those shiny marks but no powers. I have powers but no shiny mark. Make sense? Hey, why didn’t you tell me you had a crazy cool tattoo?”

            Yusei grinned. “It was just a birthmark before the Fortune Cup. Then it started glowing, and…”

            “The Fortune Cup,” I muttered. “Yusei, how are you and Jack in the City? Why is he so famous?”

            “Jack is-” Rage crossed Yusei’s face. “Look, I’m going to be honest with you. Jack has been a complete asshole to me. He almost killed my friend, stole my Stardust Dragon card, and jacked the duel runner I’d been working on for months. He turned his back on us and used what he stole from me to make it in the City. He acts like he’s so above the Satellite now. I escaped to the City to take my card back and knock him down a few pegs. The Fortune Cup gave me that chance.”

            My forehead creased. “I don’t want to believe that he would, but… I can see him doing that. Why does everything fall apart for us?”

            _Do not fear,_ said the Crimson Dragon. _In the heart of hearts of our Signer, Jack Atlas, he wrestles regret._

_He… he does? So Jack still cares?_

_Of course he does._

            I sighed in relief. The Crimson Dragon was turning out to not be such a freeloader, after all.

_Excuse me? You called me a what?_

            “Hey, no worries.” Yusei’s anger was swiftly replaced by a reassuring smile. “What matters is we’re reunited. Rain, I’ve seen your wanted posters everywhere in the City. Now that I’ve told you my side, can you explain-”

            The sound of the door opening in the distance cut him off. “Everyone, I’ve come to bring you to Rex Godwin’s mansion.”


	13. Old Friends, New Team

            It was a woman’s voice. I was busy avoiding Yusei’s stare. She continued: “The Signers need to meet there so he can explain some things to you.”

            “Why should we?” Aki said. “That man isn’t to be trusted!”

            “It’s all your choice. I’ll give you some time to think about it. In the meantime, Akiza, there are some things I need to show you. About the Arcadia Movement.” Aki followed the woman out the door.

            “Rain, I’ll be back,” Yusei said. He chased after Aki.

            He was so quick to go after her. My chest ached at how familiar it was. Leo’s voice gratefully stole my attention. “Well, I know I’m going!”

            “I’m going, too! Rain, what about you?”

            “Um, yeah, sure.” The two continued to converse until the other three returned. Leo and Luna went up to them, so I slowly followed.

            “Wait a second! Aren’t you the shadow?” The woman’s startled voice brought me to look at her. She had short blue hair and dark yellow eyes. Her clothes matched the official suits of higher-ups in Sector Security. “You must be! Godwin will be happy to finally meet you!”

            My reputation had gotten around, it seemed. I asked, “Who is Rex Godwin?”

            “He is the Director of Sector Security,” she explained. “I’m his assistant, Mina Simington.”

            Director? Nonono. If I went with them, I’d be arrested. I’d go back to Armstrong…

            My fear must have been plain on my face. She said, “Don’t worry, Rain. You won’t be returning to the Facility. Godwin has other reasons for wanting to meet you, I swear it.”

            “Rain.” Yusei and I locked eyes. “Don’t worry. We can protect you.”

            Yusei, who tried his damnedest to save my partner… Yusei, who fought by my side… How could Kalin believe he would betray us? Blister had called me ‘saint of the Satellite,’ but that title truly belonged to Yusei. I said, “I trust you.”

            Luna, Leo, Aki, Yusei, Mina, and I were packed into a limousine and taken to the mansion owned by Rex Godwin, Director of Sector Security. We were led through tall iron gates, past a sparkling marble fountain, and through fancy glass doors until we reached his office.

            Rex Godwin wore a pristine pale blue suit. His shirt bore the symbol of a bird in flight. Part of his long, dreaded white hair was pulled back. His silver-blue eyes had a hint of humor in them as they flicked over us and stopped on me.

            “So you finally turn up, and with my Signers no less.” His voice was soft yet threatening. His hand drifted down from his face, and two guards restrained me. “After the Fortune Cup, I was afraid I had lost you. I am sorry for what I must do now, but please know it is for the good of us all. It won’t be as bad as the torture you had to endure at the Facility. Shame that had to be done to you, but you know how Armstrong is! Always angry when one escapes. Lazar!”

            “Yes sir?” The man dressed like a clown answered his call.

            “Now is the time for the test. I believe we’ve finally found the Crimson Dragon.”

            What the hell? How’d he know? The guards dragged me away. Yusei knocked down two, but swarms appeared and held him back. He couldn’t save me. Rough hands dragged me into a dark room and strapped me into a machine. My panic shattered through its ceiling.

            The Dragon said, _I must hide in your heart. They will not locate me there. Before this, I’ve only been in your mind with your thoughts. Now I’ll share your feelings as well. I didn’t want to have to do this, but we must keep our secret._

            The crimson spark fired through my veins and stopped in my heart. After I was strapped in to the machine, it whirred to life. Red bolts of electricity sparked around me. Pain followed in a strong, continuous shock that never seemed to end. My skin was searing, but I caught my screams in my throat. Like Godwin had said, it wasn’t as bad as the torture.

            Several minutes later, the machine stopped. I couldn’t move my limbs. It had affected all but my heart as the Crimson Dragon claimed. If they had, I would be dead. I was thrown to the ground back in front of Godwin’s desk. I felt an arm bring me to my feet and hold me there.

            Lazar saluted. “We found nothing, sir. Truly sorry.”

            “My, my,” Godwin muttered. “Either the Dragon is good at hide and seek, or you really don’t possess its power.”

            “What the hell did you do to her?” I almost didn’t recognize the familiar, accented voice. I tried to say Jack’s name but the pain in my throat kept me from doing so. He was the one holding me up.

            “I had to search her for readings of the Crimson Dragon. If we could find the Vessel it has chosen and bring them to our side this early, we may be unstoppable to the Dark Signers. However, he isn’t here. We checked everyone else from the Facility, which is the last place the Crimson Dragon appeared on our sensors. That means there is only one more person who it could be. Rain, where is Kalin Kessler?”

            Hearing his name struck me to the core. My breathing was heavy, my eyes were closed, and I couldn’t lift my head.

            “Dead,” I managed. “He’s dead.”

            “That can’t be possible. His body was never found. He must have escaped.”

            “You… sound just like Armstrong. I felt his heart stop. I watched the light leave his eyes.” A tear traced down my criminal mark. “His body disappeared after he was already dead. I saw it, I swear. Kalin is dead. Kalin’s- My Kalin is-!”

            “We aren’t going to need to use the machine again, are we, Rain?” I recoiled, shaking Jack off of me and slamming against the back wall. I lifted my head and stared at the Director, my eyes wild in fear, sorrow, and pain.

            “Please leave me alone!” I gripped the sides of my head and fell to my knees. “They did the same thing! Asked me the same question over and over and over… Then they’d start that damned machine… It hurt so much… I can’t tell you what I don’t know! I don’t know, I don’t know, I…”

            “Just leave it! She’s obviously telling the truth!” Jack stood between Rex and me. Tears were streaming down my face. The memories were flooding back. Nihility captured me in its arms.

            “I’m only trying to help. This could be a tremendous asset to aid us in saving the world! One broken person is worth it.”

            “Listen to yourself,” Yusei told him. His voice was shaking. “I’d rather do it on our own than have to hurt anyone!”

            “The same goes for me,” Aki stated. Luna and Leo added their agreement.

            “If you all really refuse, I suppose I must let you go.”

            “No.” The voice came from my mouth, but I wasn’t the one who had spoken. Tears stopped flowing. Inside, I felt as though they should be. I stood up and said, “I’m staying with you. I want to be a part of this. I want… to help my team.”

            _I’m sorry for taking over without consent,_ the Crimson Dragon said, _but I meant what I said. You do need to hear this despite the pain consuming us._

I thoughtspoke back, _I… I thought you said you couldn’t control me._

_I cannot control you when you are your normal self. At the moment, there is an emptiness I can fill._

_…Okay. You don’t need to apologize. I… I think I need you, Crimson Dragon._ He was luckily hiding my eyes. Despite not being able to control myself, I kept my senses. _What’s that odd feeling in my mouth?_

_Fangs._

_Wh-What? Fangs? Why do I have fangs?_

_They pair with the crimson spark now that I am in your heart. Another small side effect. I will make sure no one notices._

_But… fangs? Really?_

_You’ll get used to them eventually._

“Look, Rain, it’s okay,” Yusei said. His expression was pained. “You can take some time alone and we’ll fill you in, I promise.”

            “I told you, I’m _fine_ ,” the Dragon answered.

            “Let us go,” said the Director.

            “One more thing,” Yusei said. “Godwin, you’ve done enough to her. I won’t take another step until you agree to drop her charges and search.”

            The Director’s head dipped by the smallest of movements. “Excuse me?”

            “You heard him,” Jack added, his bellow a harsh command. “You’ll let Rain go if you want our help.”

            My teammates were… standing up for me. There was a kindling of hope within the nihility, but it was so impossibly far away from where I was falling.

            “…Very well,” Godwin said. “She is of no interest to us anymore. She will be wiped from the records, the news reports will stop, and the posters will be taken down. I’m afraid the criminal mark cannot be taken back.”

            That’s fine. It’s one of the few things I had left that tied me to him. We were all led out, but I stumbled on the way. Jack caught me. He offered an arm to help me walk. “Thanks, Jack.”

            “It’s what teammates do.” There were questions he wanted to ask; I could tell by the way his gaze lingered on me. He let it go, though. “You’re clearly not fine, Rain.”

            “I’ve made it this long. Another few minutes won’t kill me.”

            He only grunted. Jack looked very different. He wore a long, white trenchcoat with purple lining and matching white pants and boots. Large earrings bearing the letter “A” dangled from his earlobes. He looked nice, I thought.

            “You… look nice, Jack.”

            Oh, dumb dragon… He wasn’t supposed to say that out loud. The compliment gave Jack the same smug smile he had every time he won a duel. “Thank you, Rain.”

            “We’re here,” Rex said. We had been descending in an elevator for several minutes. The doors opened to reveal a huge underground cavern. A red light emitted from the earth, revealing an etching of the Crimson Dragon glyph around a gargantuan staircase. Each Signer noticed their marks on the symbol: Yusei had the tail, Jack the wings, Aki the back claw, and Luna the front claw.

            The Crimson Dragon said, _This is the Stairway to the Dragon Star, the pinnacle of an ancient civilization that worshipped me._

            “Surrounding the Stairway is indeed the symbol of the Signers. It has been passed down as a legend of the People of the Stars, an ancient civilization from thousands of years before our time,” Godwin explained. The Signer’s birthmarks glowed in correspondence to the glyph. The Dragon was tempted to fly above them but stayed with me considering the circumstances.

            “Jack, Yusei, don’t you remember your first encounter with the Dragon?” The scene surrounding us shifted according to their memories, showing us a duel between the two. Their ace cards, Stardust Dragon and Red Dragon Archfiend, were attacking each other, bringing forth the Crimson Dragon. Its fiery red hide lit up the arena as it soared through the sky. “The Dragon guided both of you here so that you may reunite.”

            “Not true,” Jack and Yusei rejected in unison.

            “We had a grudge to settle is all,” Jack told him.

            “That’s not right, either,” Yusei said. “It was Godwin’s scheming!”

            “I did nothing of the sort. Your meeting was fate; I merely followed the Dragon’s guidance in my actions.”

            Yusei scowled. “Do you really expect us to believe that?”

            “It’s up to you whether you believe or not, but know this: None of you can escape your destiny. You have been chosen and brought together for a reason that must be followed through.”

            “But my mark has only every brought me pain,” Aki said. “Is that the kind of fate you mean?”

            “If it weren’t for the powers the sign granted you, you never would have met the other Signers. The mark is given to duelists deemed worthy by the Dragon itself. Your fate not only includes this war coming up, but may link to other affairs as well. Isn’t this correct, Luna?”

            “Yes,” she answered. “Now I know that I have to save Ancient Fairy Dragon and the Spirit World, no matter what!”

            “Precisely,” Godwin agreed. “You all share the same birthmarks as the original chosen Signers of the People of the Stars. As reincarnations of these warriors, it is your duty to stop the evil attempting to envelop this world.”

            “Wait a second,” Yusei interrupted. “Aren’t there supposed to be five Signers? Where’s the last one?”

            “The fifth Signer was already awakened long ago. They and the Dragon’s real Vessel will surely come to your aid when they are needed.”

            “What’s that supposed to mean?”

            “It will be long before any of us truly know. Now, on to the next topic.” As Godwin said it, the scene around us shifted to ancient looking designs in the ground.

            I’d been there before. I was sure of it. Er… was I? When? The memory slipped away like grains of sand caught in the current. Jack said, “Those are the Nazca Lines. It said on the news they disappeared a few days ago!”

            “That’s right, Jack. These lines are actually ancient seals on dark incarnations beneath the earth. The Crimson Dragon trapped them there five thousand years ago. The Lines have recently disintegrated due to the work of the Dark Signers.” A glyph that resembled a spider lit up and slowly disappeared. I noticed the lizard mark I saw on that lady’s arm in the distance as well.

            “Dark Signers possess dark marks similar to the signs you bear. Their duels are Shadow Duels, where the damage is entirely real and your very lives are at stake. They have special Dark Synchro Monsters, which use negative levels in order to tune. They are the equivalent of your Signer Dragons. I’m sure all of you will encounter these threats as you face this evil.

            “When a Dark Signer appears, the same glyphs will surely follow as a duel begins. They are similar to the Nazca Lines, but they glow with a purple flame. Their arrival spells destruction for New Domino City and the Satellite. You may also have seen their most powerful monsters, the Earthbound Immortals.” The scene shifted again to show the outside of the Arcadia Movement building the night of the attack. Two large beasts were situated there: the giant lizard I saw and a massive hummingbird beast with orange veins instead of the lizard’s green.

            “The two before you are Earthbound Immortals. They are summoned by absorbing the souls of people around them. Your marks will protect you from this, but ordinary citizens are not so blessed. Hundreds are already unaccounted for.”

            “And what happens to those who are sacrificed?” Jack’s voice lost its apathetic edge for a split second.

            “I do not know at this time. As you can see, this phenomenon calls for immediate action. If we stand aside now, the people of New Domino and Satellite will surely fall prey to the Dark Signers, and the entire city will collapse.

            “This battle is and always has been unavoidable. You can try to run from destiny, but it will always find you. You all are the only ones with the ability to defeat the Dark Signers and save the world from destruction.”

            “Wait a second.” I was the one who spoke up. The Dragon was gradually releasing me as I regained my composure. “These Dark Signers… They’re actually people, though. People who had lives. If we defeat them, isn’t there a way we could-”

            “No. The Dark Signers are the souls of the dead, who walk this earth once more for one final purpose. They have merely been awakened to these new dark abilities, but they cannot be brought back to life. They are messengers of the Underworld, wanting to capture this world for their own.”

            Aki spoke up. “But… The one after me is Misty Tredwell, the famous model. Are you saying she can never be brought back? I’m sure she gave up her life to get revenge on me for something I didn’t even do!”

            “Some people make poor choices,” Godwin answered. “This was her destiny, just as fighting her is yours.”

            Aki shouted, “But that’s not right!”

            “He’s right,” the Dragon agreed, probably oddly to the others. “Their choices landed them where they are, even if it is for the right or wrong reasons. If there is a way, we will save them, but if what he says is true then we can’t wait for answers that won’t come.”

            I thought, _Why would you say that, Dragon? Winning these Shadow Duels means killing people! I thought you were supposed to be a symbol of hope or whatever!_

_Rain, it is imperative you understand the nature of a Dark Signer. They are evil humans dedicated to the purpose of seeing civilization as we know it destroyed. Recall that the fate of the world rests on our Signers’ shoulders. The Dark Signers are their antithesis; they would place their entire beings towards the cause of murdering our Signers and destroying the world._

Maybe it was true, but I couldn’t outright say that meant they deserved to die. No one had the right to extinguish a life of another person.

_They have set us up so we have no other option. You must listen, young dragon. The Dark Signers are evil._

_Okay, okay, I understand._

_Are you certain? Because as I said, it is of the upmost importance you keep this resolve in mind._ He placed deadly emphasis on the next words: _Every. Dark. Signer. Is. Evil._

_Yes, I get it! Geez! Why are you beating it into my head?_

            He did not answer. Instead, through me, he said, “I don’t know about all of you, but I’m going to do whatever I can to help this fight, Signer or not.”

            Jack snorted. “I don’t follow anything, even fate… but if you all really _need_ my help, I suppose I could spare a few duels.”

            The scene changed back to the staircase. The Director said, “Destiny is in motion. There is no turning back. Decide now whether you want to fight the Dark Signers or not. Time is running out.”

            Godwin walked out.

            “Well I’ve made my choice. I don’t want to stay here any longer,” said the Dragon. When I was almost to the elevator, a voice called out.

            “Wait a second!” I barely turned my head to see all five of them behind me. The Dragon hid my eyes and smiled slightly. The elevator opened, so I stepped in and held the door for all of them. They filed in, one by one.

            “I have to go,” Luna told us. “Ancient Fairy Dragon and the Spirit World need me. It’s my job to save them.”

            “That’s good. I wouldn’t want to be stuck with Torunka alone.” She laughed, but the Dragon must not have had it in him. “Yusei, what’s got you so down?”

            He gave me a bewildered look, but I could still see his sorrow. “Kalin’s… he’s really dead?”

            The emptiness threatened but the Crimson Dragon fought it off. _It will be all right, young dragon. Feel the bond you share with our Signers. Hold onto it with everything you have._

            “Of course he is,” Jack answered for me. “Rain wouldn’t lie. Not about that.”

            “Um, who’s Kalin?” I had forgotten about the others in the rising elevator before Aki spoke.

            “No one,” I answered her myself. “Forget you heard anything.”

            The doors opened, and I was the first to leave. I found the way outside and exited as fast as I could, closing the door and breathing slowly. It was nice to find fresh air.

            I stood on the far side of the lawn, upon which sprouted a healthy rose garden. I headed deep inside until I found a bench. The Dragon relinquished full control, and I fell onto the seat. The Dragon’s words about bonds had helped me to find myself. I could feel my friends’ concern for me.

            _This has been an enlightening day_ , the Dragon said.

            I snorted. “Yeah, I’ve got fangs, Aki’s got emotional stress, Yusei and Jack want to drill me about you-know-who, and finally, I have to protect two children who might end up being more trouble than they’re worth. If I would’ve known what you signed me up for, I probably would have ended my life then and there after all.”

            _That is not true. You are glad to have purpose._

            “It is _a_ purpose, but it’s not _my_ purpose. I didn’t choose it. You sort of forced me into it.”

            _I said you chose to help me, Rain. After all, the circumstances said that you were the only one who could._

The only one? No way. He had all of these Signers at his disposal but somehow he needed me?

_I can still hear you, you know._

            “Shut up!”

            A rustle of leaves caught my attention. Aki peeked at me from behind a rose bush. “Rain? Are you okay?”

            “Yeah,” I answered, offering a slight smile. “I think I’ll be okay.”

            She sat down next to me. “It really was awful what he did to you in there. I’m so sorry-”

            “Don’t be,” I interrupted. “You never did anything to me, and don’t even try to blame yourself for what I did to myself. That’s causing yourself to suffer needlessly.”

            “All right,” she sighed. “You know, you’re more stubborn than you look.”

            “So I’ve been told,” I stated, laughing. “Will you be fighting for the Crimson Dragon, Aki?”

            “I think I’ve decided to, yes,” she responded. “My mother and father were actually worried about me. Can you believe that? Worried about _me_! Plus, my… friends… need me.”

            “I’m glad you think that now, and good luck against… Misty, was it?”

            “Yes, Misty Tredwell.” Her eyes went blank. “She claims I killed her brother… But from what Mina showed me, it was Sayer who did something to him. I don’t know if I can believe Sayer would do that, though.”

            “The truth will come out eventually,” I said. “I wouldn’t trust him if I were you.”

            “Why’s that? Did he do something to you?” I met her eyes. The sunset lightened their brown irises. The truth would hurt her. Was it worth that?

            …Yes. I always believed honesty was most important. “Well, if you consider brainwashing me so he could use my ability to reach the Spirit World for himself something, then yes, he did.”

            “B-Brainwashing? Are you serious?”

            “Don’t worry, that wasn’t the worst part.”

            “What could have been worse than that?”

            I showed her the nasty scar on my inner left arm. “He tried to kill me, Aki. It was only by some miracle I survived, and I landed next to you.”

            Her hands flew to her mouth. “H-He wouldn’t do something like that..! Please tell me it isn’t true!”

            I covered my scar, and my mouth twitched down. “I’m sorry, Aki. He used me and then decided I wasn’t worth the trouble. The same could have happened to you.”

            “No, he never would! He treated me differently. He’s my angel, like Kalin is to you!” My lungs deflated. Her fury drained and she asked, “What are we supposed to do, Rain? We’ll never belong again.”

            “That’s not true.” I breathed in deep. “I mean, I used to think it was. It was actually Luna who showed me more. She said that two halves make a whole, so the true can be for you and me, Aki. When she said that to me, I… Ha. Luna made me smile when I never thought I would again. Remember what I said about reality being different from what you feel, because it’s so true. We’re all here for you even when it feels like the ground is breaking beneath your feet. Like Yusei! He’s the most trustworthy person I know, and he’s been helping you out, right?”

            Pink touched her cheeks. “N-No! He… He’s nice, sure, but he can’t help me. You know how it is. Being a psychic means he can’t possibly understand. We’re too different.”

            It hurt to remember, but I… I wanted to help Aki. I stared at my bare feet. “My partner wasn’t a psychic. He never acted like my powers were bad, though. Actually, he… called them superpowers and said I would be a hero. He showed me I can belong anywhere, and I’m betting Yusei makes you feel the same way.”

            Her eyes widened, and the heat in her face intensified. “A-absolutely not!”

            “Hey, hey.” Wearing a wide grin, I scooted closer and nudged her with my elbow. “You can tell me. Just us psychics here.”

            She pursed her lips. “Mkay. It sounds crazy to say out loud, but there’s something about his voice. It’s just so… soothing. To be honest, I’ve always had a bit of a temper problem, but when he speaks it’s a special kind of magic that calms me down. Whenever I hear him, I feel… like I can have a family again. I didn’t know before, but he showed me family is so much more than blood.”

            “Oh, hell yeah! We can be like sisters!” She was able to match my smile. I cleared my throat. “Don’t tell anyone, but he’s into you, too.”

            She sputtered, “I n-never said I was-”

            “Well would you look at the time! It’s exactly I-need-to-go o’clock!” I dashed away from her, skirting around sharp-leaved hedges as I did. Searching for my two old teammates proved fruitless, so I wandered about the lawn. Luna’s voice stopped me.

            “Leo, wait! Stop him, Rain!” The boy was running towards me, looking like he was about to cry. I grabbed him by the arm before he could pass.

            “Hey! Let- me- go!” He kept trying to break free, lashing out wildly, but I managed to keep my grip. Luna came up behind me, and tears sparkled on her cheeks.

            “Leo, you can’t stay here! I need your help!”

            “What help am I?” He turned towards her, so I let go. “You’re the Signer, a legendary hero who needs to save the world! Before, I thought you were just dead weight to me. I always wanted to go play outside and duel, but you were getting sick all the time. Now _I’m_ the dead weight. I’m not a Signer… I’m not even a good duelist! I’m no help at all…”

            “That’s not true,” Luna retorted as tears formed in her eyes. “You’re my brother, my hero! I _need_ you, Leo! I can’t do anything without you. I’m still glad you stayed with me all of those times, too, but… I’m sorry for holding you back.”

            “You… you need me?”

            “And hey, even if you aren’t a Signer, you sure have the heart of one,” I said, pointing at his chest. His eyes shone at my and Luna’s words.

            “Hey, you guys,” Yusei said while he and Jack came out to meet us. Aki also exited the garden. “Have you all decided? Jack and I have chosen to go.”

            “I’m going, too,” Aki stated.

            “So are we,” Leo answered for them. Luna smiled through her tears.

            “Me too, obviously.” I hid my eyes so I wouldn’t have to look at them. “Looks like the day is almost over.”

            “The sunset is beautiful,” Aki pointed out.

            “Everyone, we have a problem!” The Security woman, Mina, rushed out to us. “Something bad is happening in the Satellite. Really bad.”

            Jack, Yusei, and I sprinted inside. She took us to a room filled with screens, all showing the Satellite. A black fog was engulfing the entire island.

            “Some sort of abnormality occurred, and we cannot contact Sector Security in the area! This footage may not even last for very long-” The screens went dark. “Oh no…”

            “That’s _it_ ,” Jack said stepping forward. “We’re going to the Satellite right now. We won’t stand by while it’s turned to ruin!”

            “Okay. You’re all going too, I suppose?” We told her yes, so she called our ride. She pulled out a communication device – a “phone,” Luna explained to me – and spoke with Godwin. She hung up after a few words and led us to the roof of the building. While we were waiting, I heard Jack and Mina talking, after which everyone seemed to break off into their own conversations. I did my best to avoid Yusei and Jack. Luna bugged me about why I had no idea what a phone was, so I had to explain my lost memories to her. Godwin arrived to meet us, and we gathered again.

            “The mist is from the original Ener-D Reactor, meaning that destiny must be guiding its creator, Professor Fudo’s son.” The others seemed astonished, but the news wasn’t exactly relevant to me. “Everyone, remember your mission: defeat the Dark Signers and get that reactor turning in the right direction.”

            Godwin left after that, not planning to follow us to the Satellite. Our ride still wasn’t here, so I decided to consult the Dragon. _What did the mist do? And you better answer me this time!_

_The black mist consumed the residents of your precious home. Once the Dark Signers are defeated, they will be returned._

_W-What? Everyone? Crow and Hiro and… all of them?_

_You were the one that asked._

_…At least I get to be the one to save them._

_Yes. At least._ I almost snapped back at him, but a helicopter began to land at that moment. A man in a Sector Security uniform stepped out then stopped in disbelief at the sight of Yusei.

            “Y-Yusei? Why are you here?” His voice was deep and a tad raspy.

            “Trudge! You’re the one bringing us to the Satellite?” The man named Trudge looked even angrier and almost continued the argument until Mina stepped in.

            “Trudge, please, we need you to bring us. I know you may not like Yusei, but you’re the best man we’ve got now.” Trudge’s fury immediately softened as he looked at the woman.

            “Of course, ma’am. I’m completely capable of the task ahead of us,” he stated, blushing. “It is an honor to serve you!”

            I found myself wondering if Kalin and I had been this obvious. If Kalin-

            No, nope, hold it together, keep moving forward. Now was _not_ the time to look back. That was a good way to fall.

            He stepped aside and opened the door, letting Mina in first. Yusei entered next, and Trudge shot him a nasty look. Then the others entered, and finally it was my turn. The officer recognized me. “Hold on a sec! Don’t I know you from somewhere?”

            “Me? You may know me from my several appearances in ‘This Week’s Fugitive.’ I’m quite infamous.”

            “Yeah, that’s right! You’re Kessler’s shadow!”

            “Ah, fame never gets old,” I grumbled.

            “It’s okay, Trudge. She’s been cleared to help us,” Mina said. He gave me a skeptical look but let me on board. I sat next to Leo who was beside Luna then Mina. Across from me was Jack, and adjacent to him was Yusei then Aki. I sat with my back against cold metal and looked out the window behind me. I saw three people on the shore sending us off: Bolt, that old man I saw at the Arcadia Movement, and some other young child. Everyone else was waving, so I gave Bolt my two-fingered salute. He noticed and returned the gesture.

            “Do you mind telling us about the Ener-D Reactor and Yusei’s father?” We had been sitting in silence for some time, and I was glad Aki had broken it. She had asked Mina, who seemed happy to answer. Yusei was deep in thought but didn’t protest. I merely shut my eyes and listened, exhaustion tugging at my bones.

            “Eighteen years ago, the Ener-D system developed a problem and caused Zero Reverse, the incident that separated the Satellite and New Domino City. The media pinned this on natural disasters so that the real cause would never be found out. The head of development for this segment of the work on the Ener-D system was Professor Fudo.”

            “Wait, so Yusei’s father was in the explosion?” You know a story is interesting when even Leo will pay attention and act serious. A silent answer was applied, and everyone’s heads dipped.

            Trudge spoke up. “Wait. Why would they put a Satellite resident in charge of such a major project?”

            “Yusei was originally born in the City,” Jack responded.

            “Oh really? Go figure…”

            “Yeah? Well, I was born in the Satellite. Got a problem with that?”

            “N-No…”

            “Good, then.” I was glad Jack shut him up. Outside, the clouds were dark.

            _This storm isn’t normal_ , the Dragon explained. _The Dark Signers have never been welcoming._

“This lightning spells trouble,” Trudge declared. “If we get hit, it won’t be pretty.”

            Yusei stood up and headed to the front. “Land us there.”

            “Um, what?”

            “Land there,” Mina reaffirmed. Trudge obeyed after she gave the command. Looking out, I was relieved to see Martha’s house was where Yusei had taken us. Then again, I feared the storm that would be coming… no pun intended. After we landed, I exited last, after even Trudge.

            “So,” he whispered to me, “what did you do to land you in the Facility? I know it sounds wrong, but you don’t really look like the kind of person that would-”

            “Save it. I’ve heard it before. I aided a fugitive and hurt Securities like you to do it.”

            He frowned and started to say something but a familiar voice spoke up first. “Rain? Rain, is that you?”

            “C-Crow?” I dashed over and pulled him in for a hug. “It’s really you! You’re okay! It’s so great to see you again!”

            He had gained two criminal marks since I had seen him. Their bright yellow lined down from his gray eyes and stopped at his chin. He wore a brown leather riding jacket and pads over his yellow shirt and jeans. Crow said, “Right back at you! What all happened to you? How did you get back and meet up with these fellas?”

            “Uh, long story,” I muttered. “How’re Hiro and Yuki?”

            The instant their names passed my lips, melancholy dampened his usual energy. A strange mix of forlorn fury lay in his whisper. “They… disappeared in that fog. I don’t know how they are, or if they’re alive, or if I’ll ever see them again. They asked about you a lot, Rain. ‘Why doesn’t she come over anymore?’ I couldn’t tell them the truth of how he screwed up and you bailed him out. You’re both nuts. But. Damn am I glad to see you again, Rain. Having you and those other two back makes this place feel more like home.”

            They… really were gone. I held in my tears for Crow, who was on the verge of crying himself. “I’m so sorry. It’s all those goddamned Dark Signers faults, and we’re here to take them down. We’ll save them.”

            He was unmoved. “I hope so. Anyway, please tell me you saw that sorry bastard Kalin at least one more time and gave him a talking to. You should’ve seen how torn up Yusei was after what he did.”

            I never had a chance to respond.

            “Rain!” My hairs stood on end as Martha stomped over to me. “Never have I ever heard of anyone doing anything as foolish as what you did!”

            I avoided her eyes as she ranted. “That boy didn’t deserve any kind of help for his actions and you knew it! For you to go to the lengths you did – relinquishing your own freedom like that – makes me only hope being in love doesn’t make everyone as much of an idiot as you!”

            She pulled me in for the biggest hug I’ve ever given or gotten and added, “But I’m so glad you’re home safe now.”

            “Come on Martha, you’re suffocating her!” Crow managed to pry me from her arms. I still wasn’t smiling. “Eh..? C’mon Rain, she’s just giving you a hard time. She still cares about you.”

            I held back tears. “It’s… not that.”

            “Hey, you two, give her some space,” Yusei said. “She’s been through a lot.”

            Martha and Crow stared holes through me but obeyed Yusei. Martha invited everyone in for dinner. I lingered before going in. Yusei stayed behind, too. He did not speak to me but his presence was a small comfort.

            “Well, if it isn’t Rain, my little promise breaker.” Blister came up behind me and hung his arm around my shoulders.

            “Blister! What’re you doing in the Satellite?”

            “I told you I had ways. Trash boats are easy to sneak onto. It’s going back that’s the hard part. Say, where’d you disappear to? I missed my roomie.”

            “Not caught by who you’d expect,” I answered. “Give a big thanks to the Arcadia Movement, and especially to that evil brain they had, Sayer. Guy overheard me telling you about my dream and _brainwashed_ me for it. Can you believe that? I didn’t even think brainwashing was possible!”

            “Wow, really? Sayer himself came up to you and captured you right after I left? That’s insane! I looked for you on the news and everything, but the search wasn’t dropped! I looked myself but couldn’t find you. Then I come home to run into this Yusei fellow, and he ends up spouting out that same stuff you said about Aero! To be honest, it only really made me miss you a bit more.”

            “Rain, I know this may sound odd, but I’ve been to the places you’ve been and seen what you’ve done,” Yusei said. “What you started at the Facility, how you helped Blister, Luna, and even Akiza! You’ve done some amazing things, teammate.”

            I blushed. “Aw, you’re too kind. It’s nice to finally be home. By the way, Yusei, how did Bolt get out?”

            “Bolt? I won his freedom for him. I could see the good in all of those guys, the good that you brought out, so I made a wager with Armstrong and won.”

            A shiver crawled down my spine at the mention of Armstrong. “That’s awesome. I… I felt bad leaving them behind. Thank you, Yusei. You’ve done great stuff, too! Your Fortune Cup run was sick! I’m proud to call you a friend.”

            “Rain…” Concern shone in his sapphire eyes. “We’re still teammates. I have your back.”

            “I’m here for you, too. Um. Th-thanks again, really.” I stared at my feet. “For trying to save him. You’re the greatest teammate we could have asked for.”

            He muttered, “I can’t imagine what you must have gone through on your own.”

            I held up my index finger. “I survived, and that is what matters. I have to thank you for giving me exactly the burst I needed to get my memories back. You really do always have my back!”

            That got a smile out of him, and the straightening of his shoulders as though a weight had lifted allowed me to join him.

            “Come on inside, you three,” Martha called. “We need to talk to y’all.”

            I followed the others in and plopped down next to Luna at the end. Martha sat at the head of the table and sighed. “I understand y’all know of the black mist that blew through yesterday. The truth of it is the fog took everyone away. When it cleared out, we were alone.”

            “Does that mean… Rally and the others?” Yusei’s worried look made me wonder whom he was talking about.

            “They haven’t been found, either,” Martha lamented. “The Satellite is practically empty.”

            “That’s why we’ve come to save it,” Jack stated.

            “Right,” Yusei agreed. “Together, as friends.”

            Jack only snorted. “Friends? I don’t know if I consider anyone my ‘friend.’”

            Why would Jack say that after what he did for me in Godwin’s mansion? Was this some sort of act, or…

            _“As long as you rely on others, you’ll stagnate because you never learn how to do anything on your own.”_

            I hadn’t considered it deeply when Jack said it, but that must have been some point of pride in his life. Maybe… I should keep my distance and not bother him.

            “Stop fighting, boys! We’re all together in this. Everyone, dinner is served!” We chowed on Martha’s stew and I left as soon as I finished. I really wanted to head back to my stage, but I decided against it on account of my exhaustion. I ended up sitting at the base of a tree, thinking.

            “You look tired.” Luna knelt next to me.

            “Hah, I am. It’s been a long day, one that’s definitely given me a big headache.”

            “Be glad we didn’t go to the Spirit World, then! Think of how much worse Torunka would have made it.”

            We both laughed. I glanced over Luna’s pristine clothing. Her pink jacket wasn’t dirtied in the slightest. “So what do you think of the Satellite?”

            “It’s nicer than I expected,” she explained. “To be honest I thought it’d be kind of scary.”

            This time only I giggled. “Yeah, that’s probably the way they described it. Glad it’s at least a tad enjoyable.”

            “Yeah! So, were you born here, too?”

            “Born here? I don’t know,” I answered. “Wherever I was born was a part of the memories I lost. Maybe I’m a Satellite through and through. Could be I’m from somewhere else entirely.”

            “Okay, one last question.” She lowered her voice. “Was what Ancient Fairy Dragon said about the Crimson Dragon true? That it’s in you?”

            “Yes,” I whispered. “It’s important no one knows but you and me.”

            “Oh, of course! I understand. My lips are sealed.”

            “Thanks, Luna.” I yawned. “I think I’m going to turn in for the night. See you tomorrow.”

            Martha offered me my old room, and I didn’t have to share with anyone else. I headed upstairs and crashed immediately. Sleep held my first nightmare, and deep within I saw the dark flames of a glyph – that of the Giant.


	14. Enemies

            Purple flames swarmed around me. They spiraled closer and closer. Bright red shone, and the fire scattered. Scarlet markings lit along my limbs, and the crimson spark sizzled through my blood. My eyes glowed red and the fangs cut through.

            _We are one,_ said the Crimson Dragon. _He needs us._

            In the distance, the flames were surrounding someone else. I dashed over to find Yusei on his red duel runner trapped in the fire. I pushed him with all my might despite the flames swirling around us. The Dragon’s strength combined with mine, and one final shove freed my teammate.

            “Yusei!” He looked at me, and his eyes widened. He turned away and spoke to the darkness.

            “You… How could you do this? I understand to me, but… How could you just leave like that?” The images melted and I fell into blackness until more flames exploded. My eyes flew open to reveal the ceiling of my room in Martha’s cottage. I glanced out the window to see a purple sign burning against the dark clouds.

            It was one of our sworn enemies, those who would strive for the world’s destruction.

            A Dark Signer.

            _Correct,_ the Crimson Dragon said. _A duel between a Dark Signer and a Signer is occurring at this very moment. I must advise you to go back to sleep. I am sure the Signer will be fine._

            Nope, no way was I letting the big red dragon, who constantly preached about how it was my job to protect the Signers, convince me out of doing just that. I threw off the covers and ran downstairs. Martha was waiting at the bottom.

            “The others are gone already,” she said. “Yusei went alone to duel one of those Dark Signers. We’re lucky Crow and the rest followed him. Are you going after them?”

            “Yes, ma’am. I have to make sure everyone’s okay!”

            “Of course, Rain,” she declared, laughing. “Good luck. Make sure Yusei comes back safe!”

            Outside, the dark sign was floating over an area I remembered was more of a trash dump. I decided running there would be faster than waiting for my duel runner. When I was almost there, a giant, black monster with bright blue veins exploded out of the ground. The Earthbound Immortal’s massive form blotted out the dark sign behind it. If a monster that strong landed an attack on Yusei…

            The Dragon burst forth from inside me. It spread its wings wide, flew over to the beast, and dove near the ground. Moments later, the Earthbound Immortal and glyph disappeared. The Dragon’s essence seeped back into me.

            _He was an attack away from death. I forced his duel runner to crash so he would only be damaged._

            _He… He almost died? And you didn’t want me to come over here? We nearly lost Yusei! I have to reach him._ Before I started, something caught my eye. A card was sliced into the dirt at my feet. I bent to pick it up, and a voice made me freeze.

            “Hold it!” The voice was eerily familiar. The card fluttered from my grasp as I straightened. My back was to him, but I bent my head slightly so I could see who it was through my right eye. He was dressed in a Dark Signer’s outfit, and his cloak and pants had blue veins like Misty’s green ones. His red shirt was short, showing midriff. His hood was drawn low over his face. Shitshitshit. This was _the_ Dark Signer. I was about to bolt until he said my name.

            “R-Rain? Rain, is that you?”

            My pulse shot up. The way my name rolled off his tongue… It’s just like-

            The man slapped a hand to his forehead. “Damn, I came to find a dragon, and I end up finding you? I must be the luckiest guy in the world!”

            He took off his hood, and horror paralyzed me.

            “K-Kalin?” His eyes were solid black outside the hazel iris, and the glyph I had just seen in the air shone purple on his arm. The criminal mark that once adorned his face was stained a dark red. I quickly lowered my head but he came over, spun me around, and pulled me against him. My cheek pressed against his chest, and-

            His

            heart

            beat.

            “Rain, I’m so glad you’re okay!”

            I was stiff, stung with shock and despair. All this time I’d spent at war with the emptiness he left me with, all this time I’d spent believing I was alone forever, all this time he-

He’s been alive?

I shoved him off and he stumbled backwards, looking confused and hurt. I yelled, “What the hell have you done? How could you betray me like this?”

            “Why are you acting like this? We’re finally together – for real this time, forever, and we can be free-”

            “Y-You’re a Dark Signer. I know what that means! You’re here to _kill Yusei_!”

            “You should understand more than anyone, partner. Think of all the pain we went through because of him. He deserves it. Oh, and you’re wrong.” He reached forward, and his fingers brushed my cheek. I was breathless; this gentle touch was meant to be gone, gone forever. “I’m here to _save you_. So. You follow me, and we’ll take our vengeance together.”

            There was deadly surety in his statements, reborn confidence I had wasted all my time mourning. Wasted, so much wasted. I slapped his hand away and snapped, “Revenge for what didn’t happen? Revenge for what you brought on yourself? Get real!”

            “You know what for. C’mon, Rain, _don’t do this_. We both know the one place you belong, _partner_.”

            “No,” I whispered. Crushing weight drooped my shoulders. I turned away from my former partner. “You want the Satellite to- no, the _world_ … You’re a goddamned _villain_ , and you threw everything away- you threw _me_ away for… No, Kalin, I’d rather you be dead than come back like this.”

            I ran away from him. The moon shone silver against my streaming tears. Kalin screamed my name, but I wouldn’t turn back. My body took over as I scrambled over the piles of trash littering the ground, my trail of tears wetting them. I tripped on a tire, fell, and didn’t make an attempt to rise. I lay there and sobbed.

            “I’m guessing you saw him, too?”

            “Please just leave me alone.” My voice was quiet and broken.

            “Come on now, Rain!” Jack hoisted me to my feet by my armpits. “Snap out of it.”

            He let go of me, but I only fell limp on his chest. He puffed a sigh and held me. “Jack. Are you my friend?”

            “Of course I’m your friend.”

            “Then… why did you lie earlier? And… why did you steal from Yusei?”

            I could feel him set his jaw. “Things have been different since you left, I’ll just leave it at that.”

            “Oh… Jack?”

            “Hm?”

            “Why did he do that to us?”

            “Rain, I think you know more than anyone. We need to get back to Martha’s. Yusei was hurt badly, so Crow took him back on his runner. Akiza followed behind with Yusei’s broken duel runner, so I was left with the twins and now you.”

            “…Okay. But, Jack… I can’t walk.”

            “All right then,” he sighed. He supported me, and I slung my arm around his neck.

            “Rain, are you okay?” Luna and Leo followed close behind us. Luna walked beside me and held my hand as we went. “I know you must be feeling horrible right now… I’m so sorry!”

            I focused on taking one step at a time, trying to ignore the continuous stream of tears. It wasn’t fair. They weren’t supposed to come back. _He_ wasn’t supposed to come back.

            I gulped. “Will Yusei be okay?”

            “Kalin beat him up pretty bad. He was super strong… and super crazy,” Leo told me. “If Yusei’s duel runner hadn’t broken when it did, he’d be toast. Since it did, though, I think he should be fine. It really was a lucky break.”

            “The Crimson Dragon was the one who did it. I saw it. It protected Yusei!” Luna squeezed my hand, probably thinking I had somehow saved him.

            “I hope he’s okay,” I said, still weeping. “It’s… my fault this happened, after all…”

            “Don’t even start with that,” Jack cut in. “You can’t blame yourself. There’s nothing you could have done, so lay off. This was all his doing.”

            He leaned closer and whispered, “If it makes you feel any better, I’m going through something similar. You heard about how I made a complete ass of myself in the City. Carly showed me that, but she also showed me I could be something greater. That was… until the Dark Signers took her. She’s the only reason I’m here.”

            I managed a smile. “Carly? Aw, Jack…”

            “What do you mean by that?” I let out a weak laugh.

            “Nothing. You guys seem cute together is all.” His face reddened. “Now _you_ know what it feels like.”

            That time, he smiled back. I was still crying and my world was still ending but- my teammate made me smile, and I did the same for him.

            “What are you guys talking about?” Leo jumped in front of us, blocking our path.

            Jack glared at him. “Sorry, kid. Adults only.”

            “What do you mean ‘adults only?’ I want to help cheer her up!”

            “Keep trying,” Jack said. Leo’s response was to come up quite close to me, grin like a madman, and wipe a tear off my criminal mark. I swiftly shut my eyes.

            “There! Bet you feel better now, don’t you, Rain?” I mustered a weak smile and kept walking. “Oh, fine then!”

            Luna sighed beside me. When we arrived at Martha’s, we entered through the back door. A doctor usually stayed with her, and his room was back here. Leo opened the door and Jack lowered me against the wall as we entered. As soon as I sat, I laid my head back and tears slipped down my cheeks. I brought up my knees and hugged them to my chest. I thought I heard someone sit next to me, but I ignored it.

            My partner had abandoned me. I was left as half a person.

            The doctor’s door swung open. He announced, “Yusei will be fine as soon as his wounds heal. He’s a truly lucky boy; the shards that impaled him barely missed his organs. I managed to pull all of them out. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must return to bed. Good night.”

            Steps echoed up the stairs above me as I lowered my head into my lap, still sobbing, but so relieved. A shadow fell over me. Martha ordered, “Rain, dear, get up.”

            I reluctantly obeyed, using the wall to steady myself. I kept my head down as I was unable to stop weeping. She took my arm and led me up the stairs, guiding me to my room and sitting me on my old bed. She held my face between her hands and told me, “I know it hurts. What he did to you was wrong, and I’m glad you’re not happy about it. Rain, do you know what I told him that first night? Do you?”

            This time, I met her eyes. I whispered, “No. What was it?”

            “I told him not to hurt you. You’re a good girl, do you understand me? You don’t deserve this. You shouldn’t have gone to that awful Facility. You should have been here, safe…” Her eyelids quivered when she closed them. “I wish you didn’t have to have a broken heart, and I wish you wouldn’t have to hurt.”

            “Thank you, Martha. For everything.” She nodded and gave me another hug. I wrapped my arms around her as well, bawling on her shoulder. I pulled away, saying, “I need some alone time.”

            Martha nodded, her face grim. “We’re here for you.”

            I lowered my head and exited the room, then the house. I sat by the tree Luna and I had spoken by last night. The leaves blocked whatever moonlight managed to break through the black clouds. A large window in the distance displayed the room where Yusei had been operated on. I spoke in thought: _You knew, didn’t you?_

            The Crimson Dragon was silent for a time. _…Yes._

_Why didn’t you warn me? Or hinted, or… something…_

            _Because I knew of the outcome. I did not want us to suffer._

_What happened to ‘pain makes you stronger?’_ He had no response. _Please, Dragon, I’m begging you. Isn’t there any possible way to save him? Any of them?_

            _…There is only one way I know of, but I strongly advise against it. It can be done with my power, however._ He explained what I would need to do and warned me of the consequences. _A very important fact to keep in mind is that you must be the one to defeat him in place of a Signer._

_Defeat him? Like in a Shadow Duel? B-but..! He was my leader, and my partner! How could I face him?_

_…Was,_ said the Dragon, and the word stung my soul. _In the aftermath of a Shadow Duel, the loser normally perishes. You can perform the swap while he is on the verge of death and only then._

_Fighting means I’ll have to hurt him, and, if I lose… I’ll die._ I gulped. _Are you sure this is the only way?_

_Unfortunately. Remember what I said. The danger involved in taking one on is incredible._

            My memories drifted back to a rainy night that felt like it was years past. I had let my cowardice take over, and I ran away from my partner’s side when he needed me the most. The overwhelming sense of failure it had left me with…

            Was not something I would know again. _I’ll stand up to him. I’ll win, and I’ll save him. I know who he really is, and it’s not a Dark Signer! My Kalin is worth that risk! No matter how much it hurts, that he… left me alone…_

_As you wish, young dragon._

_Why do you keep calling me that? Do I look like a dragon to you? I’m just a… broken…_ He didn’t respond. I stood and rested my forehead against the cool bark. “For all your power, Dragon, I end up in misery again and again. It’s like having this strength leaves me doomed to a life without joy.”

            _The lament of a hero_ , he said.

            “Some hero I am. The kind that cries herself to sleep! No, I’m not a hero or a young dragon. If it weren’t for him, I’d be… nothing. This- this is something I can do. I can save him, no matter what.”

            _Then you are a hero._

            “Shut up!” I swallowed air. The burden in my back pocket grew heavier. I screamed in my thoughts: _I got it back for you! Isn’t that what you wanted? Would you have stayed..?_

I dropped with my back against the trunk. My stinging remorse and undeniable love did not fade like the glyph in the clouds or the night in the dawn. The sun rolled on and people bustled about. I wondered how they could when the world had stopped.

            No; the world would never revolve around me, nor should it. I hated the thought of my friends feeling sorrow for me. I wished I could stand up, be strong again, and show them I was okay.

            A ghost whispered in my ear: _“You’re not a very good liar.”_

            The memory raced chills down my spine. I hadn’t noticed someone sneak up on me. They bent down to look at me, and I immediately leapt at him. “Yusei, you’re okay! Yusei… I’m sorry..! I failed again.”

            “Sorry? Rain, you have nothing to apologize for.”

            “I told you I would save him,” I uttered. “I was the only one who could, and I…”

            My knees hit the earth. Tears cascaded down my face. Yusei rested his hand on my shoulder and knelt beside me. “Don’t be. It’s my fault. He blames me for everything. He said… he was my friend, Rain, and he said he lost his will to live _because of me_. I- I can’t even imagine what you two suffered, and all because of me…”

            His eyes watered. I shouted, “What are you talking about? You did nothing! It was all him! All of this is- is his-”

            I cried harder. Not just me, but Yusei – the friend who had my back no matter what – both of our worlds stopped because of my _partner_? The pain reflected on my friend’s face inspired equal parts fury and despondency.

            He would not hurt my Signer again.

            He would not. Touch. Him.

            “You don’t understand,” Yusei said. “I’m… terrified of Kalin. He wants to kill me for good reason. Everything he said was _true_. Maybe- maybe he should. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have-”

            “ _Stop it_!” I shouted. “If you really believe that, he isn’t the only delusional one! _He’s the one who went and died_! _No one_ made that decision for him.”

            Yusei swallowed hard. “Is there… Is there any way you could explain exactly what happened? There are some pieces we’d all like to try to put in place, and you were there for it all.”

            Through his pleading eyes, I could see he was barely holding himself together. I knew that struggle well. I sighed, saying,  “Fine. What exactly lost you there? The part where he thought you betrayed him?”

            “Can you tell me your whole story from start to finish? I think that should clear things up for everyone.” I set my jaw, wondering if I could suffer through it one more time.

            My friends needed me, so I would.

“I’ll do it, starting with the Facility I guess.” Before I could start, Yusei went inside the house, gesturing me to follow. He offered a seat at the head of the table. The Signers, Crow, Leo, and Martha were waiting. I gulped. “Um…”

            Martha sat beside me. “Child, your friends have something to tell you.”

            “I got this!” Leo stepped forward. “Okay, Rain, you remember how I told you Kalin was all crazy and wanted to kill Yusei and everything?”

            My chin quivered. “…Clearly.”

            “Stop it, Leo,” Luna scolded. “This isn’t-”

            Leo rested his hand on the table. “Well, that all totally changed when Yusei said your name!”

            I lowered my head. “What is that supposed to mean?”

            “He said you’re a huge part of the reason he came back,” Crow said. His gray eyes were cold. “So what did you do, Rain? What did you do to make him a Dark Signer?”

            I shoved to my feet so quickly my chair fell back. “What the hell are you talking about? I didn’t tell him to be a Dark Signer! I- I held him as he died, Crow! His heart wasn’t beating… I th-thought he was gone forever…”

            “You must be oh-so-happy he’s back,” Crow spat, “even though Yusei came this close to dying because of him!”

            Jack slammed Crow against the wall. “Rain. Is. Not. Our. Enemy. Take your grief out on someone else.”

            Crow shoved him off. “That’s real rich coming from you, Jack.”

            “Stop it, all of you!” Martha’s command ushered silence into the room. “Crow, use your eyes. All it takes is one look at her to tell she’s not happy about this, either. What else did Kalin say?”

            Yusei’s expression was blank. “He said you were in the Facility together. He said… you both were brutally attacked by Securities every day. The worst part to him was watching you in pain and not being able to do anything… because of me. When the dark god offered to make him a Dark Signer, he thought that- that if he left, they would leave you alone because their grudge was with him.”

            I scowled. “He couldn’t have been more wrong. You heard from Godwin. They tortured me because they thought he escaped. All of that and- and right after he died, I… the _pain_ …”

            “Rain.” Aki took my hand in hers. The leather of her gloves was smooth. “It’s okay. We’re not lost anymore, remember? We all have each other.”

            “I… feel… lost.”

            “Then maybe you should’ve told him what Yusei was trying to do!” Crow shouted. “We could’ve avoided all of this!”

            “Of course I told him.” Again the emptiness dragged me down. “He would never, ever listen. He convinced himself. When I saw him yesterday, he tried to tell me again. That you’re all traitors, and I should join him. I told him he was better off dead.”

            Crow was stunned. “You… you said that to him?”

            “…Yes. After all, we’re-” My breath escaped me. The word struggled and struggled to be spoken: “Enemies.”

            Silence followed. Jack broke it by clearing his throat. “Was what Kalin said about the Facility true? They took his deck away, and you were attacked every day?”

            “All true. But, I… the night he died, I got his deck back. I never had the chance to give it back to him.” I pulled it out, and while it rested in my palm, it was so heavy. This deck was my anchor.

            “Hey, Rain!” Leo waved his hands at me. “Are you and the crazy guy really in love? You’re totally not, right? Because he’s crazy.”

            My fingers curled tighter around the deck in my hands. “He’s… not… crazy.”

            “You’d believe me if you saw him! He had this creepy laugh, and you should’ve seen how mad he was when he talked about how we all forgot about you-” Leo slapped his hands over his mouth. Everyone in the room became noticeably more anxious.

            “What’s going on?” I asked. “What are you not telling me?”

            Crow stepped forward but Jack held him back and said, “Rain, know we’re very happy you didn’t become a Dark Signer with him.”

            Jack was being… oddly kind. My head tilted. “Why would I? He’s the one who messed up!”

            “We all messed up,” Aki murmured. She wouldn’t meet my eyes.

            “Holy shit, he didn’t tell her what we did!” Crow exclaimed.

            “What’re you talking about? What’d you do..?”

            Luna ran forward and embraced me. Her voice shook as though she battled tears. “R-Rain, please, please know we love you!”

            “I do know that,” I said, patting her head. “Why are you so sad?”

            “…Rain.” Yusei’s expression was somber. He muttered, “We failed both you and Kalin. It’s just like back in the Satellite… I’ve screwed up all over again. I really am a traitor.”

            I broke away from Luna and grabbed Yusei’s arms. “You aren’t a traitor! Kalin’s the real traitor, Yusei. We tried to do anything we could for him, and he threw it in our faces! He left me behind, and you…”

            My vision drifted to where his bandages peeked out beneath his black shirt. Yusei said, “You don’t understand. After what happened in the Satellite-”

            “Yeah, I was there, too! I know you were trying to-”

            “You don’t know the whole story.”

            The table bumped as I backed away from him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

            Yusei’s gaze fell to the floorboards. “Forget it. I’d like to hear _your_ story. What happened to the infamous fugitive of New Domino City?”

            _They’re all trying to hide something from me, aren’t they? Can you see what it is, Dragon?_

_I can tell you they all harbor some sort of intense guilt related to you, and it is tied with the duel between Yusei Fudo and Kalin Kessler. Yusei and Jack, however, hold a double dose of this remorse. Yusei’s is tied to your time in the Satellite. Jack’s is some time before the Fortune Cup._

_Guilt? Well, whatever it is, I don’t… want them to hurt. Maybe they’ll feel better if they keep it to themselves. I’m sure they have their reasons._ I observed Kalin’s deck and the lavender headband wrapped around it. _My partner said we’re allowed to have secrets. My partner? No. My… enemy._

            _Remember, Rain_ , said the Dragon. His voice was soothing. _You will save him_.

            I set my jaw. My conviction was a blazing flame within me. “You wanted to hear my story, didn’t you? Well, here it is from start to finish.”

            I recounted every moment since being at the Facility, leaving out how the Crimson Dragon was a part of me. Not a single tear slipped. The end was at the hospital, where Aki and I found each other. “Then we all met up at Godwin’s mansion… and here we are.”

            Crow grasped his own arm. “Jesus, Rain. I’m so sorry. I… didn’t mean any of that. I’m glad you’re on our side.”

            “Sayer attacked you? Could it really be true?” Aki’s voice started to sound broken again. “I don’t know…”

            Yusei scratched his head. “No wonder he hates me…”

            “I think I get why Ancient Fairy Dragon chose you,” Luna said with a smile. “I wonder why you can go to the Spirit World, though…”

            “Rain, do you remember anything about before Kalin found you?” Jack leaned in and continued, “That’s what confuses me the most. How does someone wake up in the middle of the Satellite with no memory of who they are and never get it back?”

            “Hold up a second,” Leo interrupted. “When did that happen?”

            “That’s how I started out here. I woke up without knowing who or where I was. It was a struggle just to remember my name. I still don’t remember anything from before that.”

            Leo exclaimed, “I bet you’re, like, a superhero! Or maybe you’re the fifth Signer Godwin said would show up!”

            I held up my arms. “Do you see any red here?”

            “No.” Leo pouted. “But, uh, you never really answered me earlier! Kalin was totally lying about you liking him, right? ‘Cause he was, like, calling you ‘my Rain,’ and it was suuuper creepy. Besides, he’s a bad guy, and you’re a good guy, so that’s not allowed.”

            “Yes, that’s right,” Aki murmured. “Because of him, Yusei almost..! After what he did, it must be impossible for you to still be attached to him, Rain.”

            “Plus there’s what you told me yesterday,” Crow said. “Hiro, Yuki, and everyone in the Satellite… Kalin _wanted_ this.”

            When I glanced around the room, their hostile stares pinned me with chills. I felt so- so _alienated_ , like they believed I would turn my back on them at any moment. And what was it the oh-so-wicked Dark Signer had told me?

            _“We both know the one place you belong, partner.”_

            The crimson threads tied to me tugged with all their might, but they could only match the strength of the single bond opposite them. My finger traced the criminal mark on my face, the two combined crescents. “Attached. Aki. You, of all people, should know: it’s impossible to escape a ghost.”

            She flinched as though I had slapped her. I continued, “You are my team now, and we fight together for the Crimson Dragon. Whatever the past may be, in the present and future, I belong with _you_.”

            Their harsh stares softened at the urgency in my claims. No one responded to me, so I sighed, stood up, and shoved the deck into my pocket. “Anyway, while we wait for more ‘bad guys,’ I’m going home to check on some things.”

            Yusei started to stand, too. “I don’t think that’s the best idea, Rain. I mean, they-”

            “I need some alone time.”

            “You’re not alone,” Luna assured. “We’re a team like you said!”

            “If you need someone to speak with, I’ll be here,” Martha said. “We all will.”

            The pain from the cracks in my heart remained, but the crimson spark fired along the trenches. The Signers’ worry and love broiled together like lava crawling over my heart.

            Our connection inspired the flash of my grin. Yusei, Jack, Crow, Aki, Luna, Leo, and Martha were eased by it. “A team, yeah. I belong with you all, and I’ll be back.”

            The door shut behind me, and none of them followed.


	15. Her One Black Thread

            The streets of the Satellite used to be bustling with duel activity. When my former partner had led me through the area, children had cheered as one player emerged victorious. Kalin had said, “We’ll make it so they all have somewhere they belong.”

            Now the Satellite was empty. Its silence aligned with the void in my mind. The Satellites had been consumed by the Dark Signers, and my partner was one of them.

            The concrete beneath my feet was broken, and the buildings around me were crumbling. Dirt and dust stained every visible surface. This district had been abandoned for years, so silence was its suitor. A large, domed building awaited me. I crossed the threshold, where double doors used to stand. Daylight spilled through the roof. The center of the dome had caved in. The concert hall held two rows of worn seats, one in the front and one in the back. I hauled myself up to the wooden stage they faced.

            My old home was as I had left it. Dust had collected on the grand piano. I blew off the keys and played a string of high notes. They had become my favorite medley, because they were reminiscent of the wingflaps of butterflies. The mental image carried a brief instance of peace I hadn’t known for months.

            A cloak covered my runner, so I pulled it off. The dull gold glinted in the light as I studied it again. The matching helmet was on the seat. I fastened it onto my head, hopped on the runner, and started the engine.

            The wheels squealed off the stage and out the door, and I rode with the wind. It tore at my long, white hair, khaki cargo pants, and black one-armed shirt. The blue bracelet on my wrist sparkled when I drove through rays of sunlight. My ebony, fingerless glove bore a mysterious set of initials: K. o. D.

            I looked the same as before I was arrested and stolen from the Satellite. The only change is my criminal mark.

            The Crimson Dragon grunted. _Far more has changed, young dragon._

_I’d like to think so, but… maybe I haven’t changed at all. Maybe-_

            My runner’s engine shut off. I floored the brakes, which catapulted me off. I landed flat on my back.

            Great. Just great. I rose to my feet and went back to the runner. Picking it up, I noticed the display showed two symbols similar to the ones on my duel disk. A zone on the runner’s attached disk was flashing. Wasn’t that the field spell zone? I thought Speed World was automatically placed there in every turbo duel.

            A card popped out of my deck, but the one on my arm, not on the runner. I pulled The Seal of Orichalcos out and placed it on the flashing card zone. Green circuits erupted throughout the disk, causing the engine to start up again.

            The hell? The runner used energy from this card? The Seal of Orichalcos was heavier than my other cards. When the light hit it, dark green flashed along the Seal’s star. The card had stone inlaid in it. Right, because… the Orichalcos is my power source. I remember! This stone is Orichalcos!

            My runner had run out of juice next to the old Team Satisfaction hideout. The sight bubbled up memories. I may as well stay a while. I didn’t want to face the Signers again just yet.

            I vaulted up the stairs to the main room. The table was untouched. Our old, colored-in map was missing since Kalin threw it away. I took his old deck out of my back pocket and tossed it on the table, not wanting to have the burden anymore. I wished I could go back to those days. All I wanted was to go back, for everyone to be together again, for everyone to be happy…

            The sunlight on the crashing waves was beautiful as ever. My knees hit the cold stone, and I crossed my arms on the broken wall in front of me. I rested my head on them. The sun’s warmth was a gentle caress. Even after a sleepless night, exhaustion hadn’t hit me until I settled there. Sleep washed over me like the ebbing waves, their tide a lullaby.

            “Hm? What’s this?” The voice awoke me. I picked my head up and sat back, wondering how long I had been out. The sun was almost set. I held the crumbled wall and rose to my feet, turning to see who had spoken.

            Kalin held his deck that I had left on the table. My eyes widened as I ran over, trying desperately to retrieve my anchor. He saw me coming, though, and pushed my head just far back enough so I couldn’t reach it. I kept trying, shouting, “Give that back!”

            He laughed and responded, “No way!”

            It was too late I noticed my legs had fallen asleep and stumbled to the ground. Kalin caught me. “Need a hand?”

            While he was helping me up, I made one last frantic lunge for the deck, but he drew it back before I got my hands on it.

            “Nice try,” he told me as he slipped it into his back pocket. I tried to use the wall to help me stand up, but I ended up collapsing again. Kalin steadied me with his embrace as I fell against him, my heart fluttering now and face heating up.

            “Um,” I muttered. I tried to back away, but he held me in place. “Kalin!”

            My heart leapt as his lips brushed my ear. “You know you can’t fight it. Give in.”

            I couldn’t think. Everything was heating up. Kalin held my chin up. Looking at his now dark eyes, panic warned me to flee but he was coming closer, closer and I-

            I leaned into his kiss. I wrapped my arms around him and tears streamed down my face. They were of mixed joy and sorrow because he was here, I could feel his heartbeat, he was alive, and that-

            That made me so happy when it shouldn’t. My tears ran over his fingers and he broke away. His hand lingered on my cheek. He swiped them off of my face and they quivered on his fingertip, sparkling in the setting sun. “Rain… I never meant for you to be a part of this. I love you no matter what. You get that, right?”

            “I…” It was painful to look into his eyes. I shut my eyes hard and rested my head on his chest. He held me tight and leaned us back against the unbroken wall. For a precious moment I could forget every night without rest, every instance of preying nihility, every gnawing doubt that screamed of my incompleteness. Harmony’s blossom within was a familiar peace I never thought I would know again, but it was only possible in the arms of my enemy.

            My enemy?

            No, my… other half. “I love you, too.”

            The slightest of sighs escaped him, and tension loosened from his limbs. My sobbing filled the silence. He whispered, “Hey. It’s okay. You don’t have to cry.”

            “No, it’s not! You have no idea what I’ve been through, and I thought I was alone, and _you_ …” I could only bawl; he stroked my hair, and I despised how comforting it was. A part of me wished to break away and believe, yes, I _do_ hate him.

            I could not lie to him.

            “You’re right. I don’t know. Can I tell you something, though? This right here, this is what I missed the most.” His hold on me tightened. “I feel the same way as you, partner. I can’t get over you.”

            “I-I don’t feel that way!”

            “Oh, _please_. You do more than wear your heart on your sleeve. It’s more like you throw it at anyone who happens to pass by. Which isn’t a bad thing. A far cry, in fact, but I think it’s courtesy to let you know: it’s just adorable how hard you’re trying to not want me.”

            I backed away and observed his smug smile. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

            He threw up his hands. “Rain, why do you think I’m here?”

            “Um. Because you… wanted to see me?”

            “Hey, yeah, no. I’m not some stalker or whatever you think ‘villains’ do in their spare time. Jesus. I thought you really hated me. Why would I want to see you? So you could break my black little heart again?”

            He laughed at my shock. “I’m not ashamed to admit you had me there for a while. See, it just so happens my boss thinks you have connections to a certain big, red dragon.”

            My palm instinctively covered my heart. “That creep Godwin said the same thing. He checked me and got nothing! So, uh, you can leave now. Please?”

            “Oh, we both know that’s not what you want. Here’s the thing. I didn’t need to ask you anything to get my answer.”

            Kalin stepped closer, and I didn’t back away. He interlaced his fingers with mine. The gesture was so natural. Our hands together reminded me of the way he had led me everywhere, and I would let him. “Because no one really siding with that Dragon would look at me the way you do.”

            This was the part where I walked away, because I was with-

            His fingers ran through my hair and he cradled the back of my head. I gasped as he leaned over me and kissed my forehead. My hand still held tight to his other one. Kalin grinned at my harsh blush. “Oh yeah, that’s the one.”

            I tried to speak but a bout of nervous laughter came out instead. The sheer joy in my former partner’s smile made me so painfully happy. He said, “Oops. I broke her.”

            Hot tears rolled down my cheeks, and concern removed his smile. I sputtered, “I d-don’t hate you, and I don’t wish you were d-dead, and y-you’re taller, and your sh-shirt is too small.”

            “Yeah, well, I never was much for fashion.” His voice was low, and its gentleness made my heart ache. “You’re still short.”

            “It’s not fair.”

            “Ah, I’m sure you’ll-”

            “Not that! I mean anything. Everything. I don’t know what to do, and I can’t remember the last time any goddamned thing I’ve had to go through has been easy!”

            He wiped away my tears. “It’s fine, okay? You can trust me, and I’ll take care of everything.”

            It would be just like how it used to, the nights where I had no emptiness or fear for the future. I had never wanted anything more than to be reunited with my partner, who had haunted my dreams and thoughts and every facet of my pitiful soul.

            My focus shifted from his black eyes to the now-dark sky. Little starlight managed to break through the Satellite’s smog.

            But the light did.

            I breathed in deep, and there were no more tears. “I don’t trust you, Kalin. My friends never threw me away like you did.”

            “I know you believe that, but… those Signers are less ‘friends’ to you than you think. Take my word for it.”

            My thoughts drifted back to what the Dragon mentioned about their guilt, and what Crow had said: _“He didn’t tell her what we did!”_

            “Oh, and I would _never_ throw you away. There’s so much you don’t know.”

            “Here is what I do know.” I released his hand, continuing, “You tried to kill my friend. You want the world to go to hell. My leader once told me I could be a hero. That is exactly what I will be. Meaning neither of those things you want will happen.”

            “Tch. Going back to them would be a huge mistake. I didn’t just almost kill Yusei. I _beat_ him. You get that, right? If you do this, you’re picking the losing side. You’re choosing to die.”

            My hand went to my mouth. “Oh. Oh, that’s so cute. You still think you’re going to duel Yusei. Maybe you really are crazy like they told me if you’ve forgotten. You’re _mine_.”

            His expression was trapped between anger and surprise, and one of his dark eyes twitched with the differing emotions. His formerly outstretched hand clenched into a fist. “You don’t want to make an enemy of me.”

            “Yeah. I don’t want to love you to hell and back, either.”

            “…Rain. You’re mine, too. We belong on the same side.”

            “There’s something we can agree on! All you have to do is follow me-”

            “You’re wrong to stand up for them. I know you feel it, too. Your only home is with me. So come _on_. Let me take you home.”

            The truth within those words stung me. I observed the hand he held out to me in the dark. He wore the same fingerless gloves I had asked about on our first day as partners. Further up on his forearm was his dark sign, the Giant glyph. Who was he, really? The leader who gave his damnedest to save the Satellite, or the Dark Signer who begged me to help him destroy it?

            I closed my eyes. “I have one last question.”

            “Go ahead.”

            “Does this… make you feel free?”

            “No,” he answered immediately. “No, not until I know you’re going to make it.”

            Which meant he was…

            He said, “As long as you’re with me, we’ll win this, and we can both live-”

            I interrupted him by thrusting my whole body on him. He was forced back against the wall, and the blush on his cheeks was a shade lighter than the red his criminal mark had become. I slipped my hand into his back pocket while whispering into his ear. “An angel like you deserves a better ending than hell on earth.”

            I took the deck out of his pocket, peeled off of him, and left him there. There was no lie I could tell myself to deny that I wanted nothing more than to go back, hold him, and be by his side.

            I continued towards my runner. I tossed the deck in the air and caught it again. My partner was going to lose.

            My anchor returned to its resting place in my pocket, and I jumped on the runner. I said to hell and back, and I meant it. My Kalin was coming back!

            I stuck on my helmet, started up the engine, and zoomed back to Martha’s. A purple Spider glyph shone against the clouds above her cottage. On the way, the crimson spark shot through my veins. The Crimson Dragon roared in my thoughts and commanded, _Stop!_

            Wheels squealed with my turn brake. _What? What is it?_

            A red glint lit up my eyes and fangs sliced through my mouth. My senses heightened, equaling the Dragon’s. I could feel whom Yusei was battling and where the Signers were.

            _Roman, my old friend. That damned spider took him from me!_

            _What do you mean?_ Memories flashed across my mind of the man I had seen so long ago in the B.A.D. Area. He was a Dark Signer, even then. _How were you and him friends once?_

            The Crimson Dragon showed me more of his past, and my rage built alongside his. The dark god Uru chose Roman in the same way the Dragon had. Roman fought and fought but, in the end, his will was lost. Uru took over and caused the Ener-D explosion that separated the City and the Satellite.

            I thought, _You saw the explosion. How am I watching these memories? I thought you forgot because you rejoined with me._

 _This was a time we were separated. Why we had to separate, I do not know,_ he said.

_Doesn’t that Ener-D explosion look familiar?_

_It could very well be you were caught in the tragedy._

I paused. _Then I would be dead, wouldn’t I?_

_You are quite resilient, young dragon._

_Yeah, right. Have you taken one look at me these past few days?_

_…Rain. It takes a strong will to deny these feelings and refuse to become a Dark Signer alongside him._

_Well, I, uh, didn’t exactly deny them. I mean, I-_

_We do not speak of that part._

_Yes. Right. Sure! No talking. About. That. You’re, um, being nicer than I expected after what I just did._

            His gentle growl was like a purr. _You have withstood such pain on my behalf, yet still you fight for my Signers. I truly feel like a part of you._

_I think you mean our Signers._

_The young dragon rises!_

            His encouragement brought a smile to my face. “Let’s find this old friend of yours!”

            I finished the drive to Martha’s place. Spider webs and dark flames dissolved around me. Ahead, all of the Dark Signers and Signers were gathered. They were locked in a stare-down. I broke in to a run, stopping just behind the gathered Signers. “Roman!”

            He glanced down, loosed a dark chuckle, and jumped from his high perch. Roman landed between the Signers and me. “Hello, monster. Who let you out of your shiny golden cage?”

            My eye twitched. The heat of rage clouded my thoughts. I instinctively reached for my hip, and my hand passed through empty air. Why would I think something would be there? A sharp pain erupted behind my eyes. I caught my forehead in my hand.

            Roman laughed at me. “Look at how useless you are without your memories. The old you would have me fleeing right now.”

            “The old me? How could you know?”

            He chuckled. “Your memories were entrusted to me. If you want a chance to earn them back, you can duel me for them on the morrow.”

            I grit my teeth. “I’ll duel you for them right now!”

            “No deal,” Roman said. “I didn’t return those memories for a reason, monster. Fate crosses the paths of the Signers and Dark Signers. If I were to return your memories, the Signers would be in danger. I would rather them die to my Dark Signers.”

            I balked. “D-die?”

            Roman’s smile was chilling. “Yes, Rain. To put it quite simply, I did not give you back your memories because I am afraid of what you are capable of. The Crimson Dragon shares my fear, considering I have it on good authority he never returned to you.”

            “W-what do you know about the Dragon and me?”

            “Who do you think gave me your memories?” he said. “Ah, don’t be so hurt. You aren’t the only one the Crimson Dragon abandoned. I sense my vessel’s longing for the Dragon’s return every now and again.”

            “I- I don’t understand!” I shouted. “You’re talking like the Crimson Dragon and I have known each other for a long time! He- it’s just some mystical god thing, isn’t it? And, and even if I did know him, why would he abandon me?”

            His smile taunted me. A shadow passed over the moon. “Would you like a hint?”

            I laced my fingers together. “Um, yes?”

            “The Seal of Orichalcos.” The words passed his lips in a tender whisper as though he were handling something sacred. “You created it, Rain. _You_ created that card for a specific purpose. Do you remember what it was?”

            “W-well, obviously I don’t! I mean, it’s just a card to use in a game! It’s just…”

            My surroundings went fuzzy. I heard a long-forgotten voice. Its depth exceeded the Crimson Dragon’s. Its scorn was more than I had ever sensed. It said: _“You are foolish to believe genocide is the answer.”_

            Genocide?

 _Rain!_ the Dragon called. _The Spider is a master of manipulation. Do not allow Uru to convince you with his web of lies._

            “A card,” I said aloud. “Nothing more, nothing less.”

            Roman – no, _Uru_ – shrugged his shoulders. “Your denial makes no difference to me. You don’t have the Crimson Dragon. You aren’t a threat; you’re a tool. Your alliance with the Signers makes you a ticking time bomb at my disposal.”

            I ground my teeth. “I am no tool.”

            “Ah, but you are,” he said. “A terrifyingly bloodied one at that.”

            “Afraid of a mere human?” asked one of the Dark Signers. His outfit had stark yellow lines through the black fabric. “That’s unlike you, Roman. After all, only the Signers have a chance against us, and their power is nothing compared to ours!”

            Luna stepped towards me. She said, “Rain’s the best duelist out there, and she’s going to help me beat you!”

            “She won’t get that chance.” Kalin’s voice forced my heart to drop. “Because I’m going to kill her.”

            I raised my eyes to his. He was _smiling_ , and the sheer glee in his expression made me want to crawl away. Yusei skidded in front of me. “Leave her out of this. This is between the Signers and Dark Signers, no one else!”

            Roman crossed his arms. “I will allow you some brutal honesty, Yusei Fudo. Devack knows me well. I would never fear that _thing_ behind you masquerading as a girl if it were a powerless human. It is aligned with neither the Crimson Dragon nor the King of the Underworld. Its sins are incomprehensible, and its existence will be the downfall of your race.”

            “ _She_ is our friend,” Yusei said, “and we’ll do whatever it takes to win her memory back.”

            He laughed. “Let your hopes build. It will be oh so satisfying to crush them when the time comes.”

            I said, “Nothing’s being crushed on my watch. I’ll fight alongside my friends, and I’ll take my memories back from you.”

            “Those memories will be your last mistake,” he assured. “If you even make it to me. As you are now, you’re powerless, and I believe a couple of mine have a grudge against you.”

            Kalin and Devack’s gazes burned through me. I watched Roman walk away, and the rest of the Dark Signers followed him. Jack gave chase, but I was paralyzed.

            “Rain?” Aki appeared out of the darkness in front of me. “Are you okay?”

            “I’m not.” I hugged myself, and tears threatened to roll down my cheeks. “The only partner I’ve ever had wants to kill me. Roman acts like the person I used to be was… terrifying…”

            Aki grasped my upper arms. “Don’t forget, Rain. No matter who you used to be, you’ll always be one of us! That means you’ll never have that loneliness again.”

            “Don’t worry about Kalin,” Yusei said, his fear from earlier gone. “I’ll take care of him.”

            “That Dark Signer is trying to mess with your head,” Crow said. “C’mon, don’t let him get to you that easily, Rain. You’re stronger than that!”

            “Yeah, Rain, you’re way too tough for that dude. I mean, you _saved_ me,” Leo agreed. “We have the hearts of Signers, right?”

            Their words eased my worries. I breathed in, out. “He’s tricking me. This doesn’t change anything. I’m with you all ‘till the end.”

            The Dragon said, _Those two Dark Signers have their sights set on you, young dragon._

“I know! I… _Goddammit, why_?” I slammed my fist into the tree trunk. “He said he wants to kill me! We were supposed to be partners. He said he would be by my side no matter what! How could he lie to me? Was it all _lies_?”

            A red-gloved hand fell upon my fist. Aki smiled at me. She said, “It’ll be alright, Rain.”

            “How the hell can you be so sure?”

            “Because that’s the way you were able to make me feel after… after Sayer. We’re together in this, okay?”

            Her eyes shone. I set my jaw. “Can I ask you a tough question, Aki?”

            “Of course.”

            “When you… when you hurt people with your powers, did you ever enjoy it?”

            Her features darkened. “I hate to say it now, but yes. There were times when I thought they deserved the pain I dealt. I wish I could say it weren’t true.”

            I looked down at my hand. One of the knuckles had split, and blood dribbled down my finger. “I have that same feeling.”

            “It’s okay. We’re not monsters. We’re not.” The smile returned to her face, and because of her support, I managed to return it. “Let’s join the others.”

            “Wait. There’s… one more thing.”

            “Yeah?”

            “Aki… what’s genocide?”

            Her brow furrowed. “It’s the killing of an entire group of people, usually based on something related to the way they were born, like their race or religion. Why do you ask?”

            I stared at a point in the distance. “Why would someone want to do something like that?”

            A sigh passed her lips. “I couldn’t ever understand, to have enough hate in your heart to want to remove so many people from the planet… it’s something truly evil. What are all these questions for?”

            “I just- I don’t understand it, either. Isn’t that like what the Dark Signers are trying to do?”

            “Yes, I suppose,” she said. “If they win, it’ll be… a massacre.”

            _MASSACRE._

            Screaming pierced my thoughts. Screams, screams everywhere from men, woman, and children. I gripped the sides of my head and resisted the urge to shout with them. Aki said, “What’s the matter?”

            _Remember yourself, young dragon._ The crimson threads woven into my heart warmed my soul. I breathed in, out. The screams died down. _This is a product of Uru’s manipulation. He will try to turn you against our Signers._

 _And there’s not a chance in hell that’ll happen!_ I said, “That Dark Signer did something to me, but- I know I’ll be fine. Let’s go in.”

            Aki hooked her arm through mine and led me inside. Jack appeared behind us, his forlorn expression in solidarity with mine. In Martha’s cottage, everyone gathered around the table. The children were sobbing. Trudge fell to his knees, saying, “It’s our fault they took Martha! She sacrificed herself for us!”

            Martha was gone? No… The Dark Signers were taking everything from me. Aki let me go. I hid my eyes and leaned against the back wall. We would defeat them and get her back. We had to. Even if that meant… Kalin…

_Remember, Rain. This is more than a war for you. It’s a rescue mission._

_Right. Thank you, Dragon. I’ll save him. I’ll save him this time! He wants to kill me, but that- that won’t stop me!_

A loud sound snapped everyone to attention. Jack had slammed his fist into the wall. “Stop it, all of you! It’s not any of your faults! Stop blaming yourself!”

            “He’s right,” Yusei agreed. “This was the Dark Signers’ fault. We _will_ defeat them, so don’t worry! When we do, they’ll be back. All of them.”

            A couple of sniffles, but no tears. I continued to hide my eyes. After they left, Jack shoved Yusei. “Was that true?”

            “I don’t know.”

            Trudge seized him by the shoulders. “You don’t know? Then why the hell would you say it?”

            I slapped my palms on the table, yelling, “Will you leave him alone? Can’t you see he’s hurt, too? He’s convincing himself as much as you. I, for one, _know_ what he says is true.”

            “I agree,” Aki said. “They’ll all come back, I’m sure of it.”

            Trudge let go of Yusei and swore under his breath. Jack looked like he was about to say something else, but I spoke first while my hands slid off the table. “Shouldn’t we be making a plan for tomorrow? Can’t we please get on with it?”

            “Precisely,” Mina said, finally standing up. She spread out a map of Satellite on the table.

            Leo said, “What did that guy mean by meeting up at the ‘four stars of destiny?’”

            The Dragon’s voice echoed in my mind. _Giant, Lizard, Hummingbird, Monkey, Spider. My dragons must seal them all._

            “He must have meant the four control units of the old Ener-D reactor. They were codenamed after the Nazca Lines. When it went out of control, the seal on them was broken. Ccapac Apu, Ccarayhua, Aslla Piscu, and Cusillu. Uru wasn’t included in the control units but was the name of the reactor itself.” She showed us five marked points on the map while explaining this to us.

            “The Signer Dragon cards are the ones that seal these control units, right? So our goal is to get the cards in these units, which the Dark Signers are guarding. Which one has Ancient Fairy Dragon?”

            “A man named Devack has Ancient Fairy Dragon,” Luna said. “He was the one with the yellow outfit. He has the mark of the Monkey.”

            “Then I should go with you,” I responded. “To help free her.”

            “The Giant,” Yusei said. “That’s where Kalin will be. I’ll go there first.”

            _What about our plan, Rain? If Fudo duels Kessler-_

_Dragon. My destiny is to battle my partner. I have made it so._

            He laughed. _Where is this confidence coming from?_

_I’m not sure, but I feel it like a blazing fire in my soul!_

_Yes… I feel it, too. It gives me hope._

            “Hold on a second,” Luna said. “Shouldn’t we all stick together as a team?”

            “There’s no point,” Jack answered, pushing up his sleeve to reveal his wing mark. “These marks want to fight the Dark Signers, and that’s what they’ll do.”

            “But we just got everyone together,” Luna whined.

            “It’s fine,” Yusei told her. “Even if we’re apart, we’ll still be together by our bonds of friendship. Plus, this is for the best. We’ll only have until sundown.”

            “Misty had the Lizard,” Akiza said while pointing to a mark on the map. “I’ll go here to face her.”

            “And I’ll take that girl with the Hummingbird mark,” Jack said. His voice lacked its usual ferocity.

            _That is Carly Carmine. Atlas is in much the same position as you, Rain._

            _…Jack…_

“Akiza, I’ll take you to the control unit,” Mina offered.

            “I’m going with Luna and Rain, of course!” Leo exclaimed. I was actually glad to have him along.

            “I’ll drive you guys, then,” Trudge stated.

            “I suppose I’m left as the babysitter,” Blister uttered. “I guess that’s okay. I’ll make sure they don’t go off and get into any trouble. It’ll probably be easier than taking care of _Rain_ …”

            “Hey!” They all just laughed. “Tch. I’ll show you today!”

            “All right, everyone,” Mina declared. “It’s time to save the world!”

            I was the last out the door, falling in behind Luna. Jack and Yusei’s duel runners were revved up and ready to go. I walked up beside Jack.

            “Good luck with your girlfriend,” I whispered. “I hear Carly’s a tough fighter. You can save her, Jack.”

            He tensed. “I only hope so. I wish the same for your boyfriend.”

            My runner arrived and I straddled it. As I slipped on my helmet, Trudge and Mina’s cars came up beside us with Luna, Leo, and Akiza.

            “Everyone,” Yusei called, “remember that our bonds as friends will hold us together and give us strength.”

            The normal blue of my eyes reflected red as the crimson spark burned, making everyone’s marks shine. I added, “Oh, and good luck, too.”

            All of the engines roared as we sped off to our destinies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT ONLY GETS WILDER FROM HERE Y'ALL HOLD ONTO YER METAPHORICAL HATS
> 
> & thanks to whomever happened to make it this far c: ! Your readership means the world to me ♥


	16. Absolute Authority

            _“…Rain…”_

            The world flickered. I grasped my helmet and kept myself from pumping my runner’s brakes. The taste of the wind shifted between the metallic tinge of the B. A. D. area’s gathering storm to the clean air of the Spirit World. The sky above became a brilliant azure before altering back to the Satellite’s gray.

            _“Hey, Rain! How long are you going to keep a girl waiting?”_

            The world phased into the Spirit World again, and I saw a mirror of my own face staring back at me. The other me, however, looked quite cross. I shut my eyes. When I opened them again, I saw the car riding beside me in the Satellite. Luna was conversing with Kuribon. I said, “What’s happening?”

            “They’re calling us!” she said. “I’ll see you on the other side!”

            _“You’re being far too slow.”_ A pair of pale hands grabbed my arms and dragged me off my runner. I screamed as a flash of light blinded me. I landed flat on my back onto surprisingly soft grass.

            A gentle breeze caressed me. Tiny white lights drifted through the air like fireflies. A small creek cut through the grass, lulling me with the soothing sound of flowing water. A bright blue butterfly alighted on the tip of my nose. I had an odd feeling I knew this place.

            The butterfly flew away as three men dressed in medieval armor approached me: one in blue, one in red, and one in black. The blue knight – he had a scar over his right eye, I noticed – stepped forward and addressed me.

            “General. These are yours.” He knelt before me and held out a sheathed saber. There were questions on my mind but my hands moved on their own. I accepted it and strapped it to my waist.

            The red knight clapped me on the back. His grin was mischievous. He held out a hand, and in his palm glittered a necklace inlaid with a green gemstone. “Here’s ya Orichalcos. It’ll keep ya chill.”

            I pulled it over my head and it fell on the center of my chest. The knight in black threw a black bundle at me; I struggled to properly catch it. The item was an ebony hoodless cloak of soft velvet. Its chain clasp and design were the same dull gold as my runner. The stitching was a dragon in upwards flight. I clasped the cape around my neck, and it fluttered with the breeze. His dark blue eyes pinned me with a disapproving glare as he said, “You’ve shown a disappointing performance so far. If that does not change, I’ll hesitate to call you ‘general.’”

            “Ay, quit bein such an ass!” scolded the red knight.

            “I might consider it if you gave me a reason not to be.”

            The blue knight grabbed the red knight’s arm before they started into arguing and said, “We wish Lady Luck be by your side always.”

            Finally I was able to speak: “Thank you.”

            “I know ya don’t remember us,” the red knight said, “but know we’re here for ya!”

            “Get on with saving our realm, Rain,” the black knight grumbled. “Introduce them to the edge of your blade. Show them who this world belongs to.”

            “And remember that when you need us the most,” the blue knight said with a kind smile, “we will be there.”

            “I will, but who are-” I was thrown back into the tiny Spirit World town. Ugh. I should’ve seen that coming.

            A pile of boxes hid me from the main square, so I took the time to observe my sword. I pulled the saber from its navy sheath to find a dark green blade made of the same material as my pendant. It was inlaid with three of the same symbols as the one on my duel disk, a language I had known once. A final reminder echoed in my head, the voice of the blue knight.

            _“Don’t forget to use the energy blasts, Rain. The Orichalcos stores power.”_ The handle fit my palm perfectly. My black, fingerless glove was the exact size of the hilt. I slung a few slices and broke up some boxes until I felt comfortable. I could wield it nimbly, stepping, cutting, and poking. Looking at the words again, the translation came to mind.

            “Insluith, Yrrsil, Rykuix!”

            In my language, the words meant faith, love, and pain, respectively. _My_ language? I gulped and observed the sword, which was now shining like the Seal of Orichalcos. I… wasn’t from the Satellite, was I? Then where-

            _Now is not the time_ , the Crimson Dragon said.

            He was unfortunately right, as – again, unfortunately – usual. I made a slice through the air, and a beam of energy shot from the blade. It flew into a building, exploding on impact. Hot damn that was some power.

            “Eh? What that?” A group of the monkeys quickly ran over to observe the damage. One had turned, seen me, and was alerting the others. They were all wielding staffs. Dark energy pulsed from them, and whatever they touched turned back to dirt. I thought the three ancient words and sent a blast of energy flying. It exploded in the middle of them, and when the smoke cleared, all that remained was dust.

            “This is so cool! Uh, focus, Rain. Luna and I are separated, but hopefully we both know where to go!” I trekked towards the castle Torunka showed me in my first Spirit World visit. That’s where they would be holding Ancient Fairy Dragon. _My_ dragon. I fought through waves and waves of primates. They disintegrated when my blade touched them.

            It was an unfair fight, really.

            The Crimson Dragon stirred within, and the crimson spark shone in my eyes. I bared my fangs at the sight of the fortress. Black clouds blotted out the sun above, and they covered the entirety of the Spirit Realm now. Even the Gilded Gate in the distance was dark.

            I blasted through the entrance to find a huge collection of monkeys. I danced through them with my blade, a deadly sharp choreography. The final enemy exploded into dust under my sword. I looked up to see Luna, Torunka, and a giant white lion watching me. I straightened and flashed a grin.

            “Rain, you did come back!” Torunka ran up to me and hugged my legs. He was shorter than before, and his clothes were loose on him. “I thought I might never ever see you again!”

            “…Why so dramatic?”

            “Ah, boy, you’re just the sweetest, aren’t you,” Torunka grumbled. “Luna and I just had a near-death experience, okay? Cut me some slack! Regulus here was under a curse and tried to kill us! Luna’s quick thinking saved us.”

            “I expected nothing less,” I told her, and her smile was sheepish.

            “Regulus is going to help us save Ancient Fairy Dragon,” Luna explained. She, too, looked younger than normal. “Where’d you get that cool sword?”

            “The blade was hers all along, Luna.” The lion lowered his head, rustling his orange mane. “It is an honor, Knight.”

            I wanted to ask him about the knights, but there was little time. “You can call me Rain. And, um, why are you two so small?”

            “It’s the minus curse!” Torunka exclaimed. “Luna and I may turn back to babies if it doesn’t stop! The whole world will turn back to its premature state, from even before you created it!”

            A chill spread through my body. “I… created… what now?”

            “Torunka, her memories have been taken. Do not interfere!”

            “Aw, what? You called her by her true name! But nooo, _I’m_ the one that messed up.”

            “Wait… Have I… been here before all this? And, why isn’t that curse affecting me? I can even see you shrinking, Regulus.”

            When Regulus smiled, his fangs poked out. “It is affecting you, Rain, but you are so ancient that its effects are miniscule.”

            The blood drained from my face. “ _What_?”

            “Do not forget our priority. Let us save Ancient Fairy Dragon.” I almost asked him more, but I shook it off, gripped my sword, and headed to the main room of the castle. Time was of the essence, and my past could wait. After tearing through rooms fighting monkeys with my sword and Regulus’s claws, we finally made it to the throne room, where a robed ape awaited us. A pit filled with light shone as a pillar in the room’s center. Several monkeys were around, and we swiftly disposed of them.

            “So you’ve finally made it. I am Zeman, the Ape King, and this world will be mine!” announced the ape. He held a powerful minus staff and wore dark blue robes with yellow markings. Behind him was a sandstone throne. The room we stood in was crafted from duel monsters sealed in stone card prisons.

            That meant every square foot of his giant fortress was built from monsters he’d trapped. I bared my fangs as Luna came to my side. She said, “Let Ancient Fairy Dragon go!”

            He loosed a deep-throated chuckle. “How can you possibly hope to save her? While my master is destroying your brother, you’ll be stuck here, begging for your weakling dragon until your life runs out!”

            “L-Leo?” Her expression collapsed into horror. “Leo is fighting the Dark Signer?”

            “Haha, a hopeless fight indeed! Soon, the dragon will be turned fully negative! All I need is that lion’s power to finish the process.”

            Regulus growled in protest. “You will not hurt our master!”

            “You can’t stop it. You don’t even know where she is! As long as I wait until your friends are gone, you’ll be alone and powerless before me. I’ll show you!”

            With a flick of Zeman’s wrist, his staff spun towards Regulus and clamped down on his ankle. The lion roared, and the Ape King laughed at his pain. Luna said, “Regulus, no!”

            He turned on the Signer. The look in his eyes told me everything I needed to know. Regulus pounced, and his sharp claws and fangs pointed at Luna’s throat. I grabbed her by her pink jacket’s hood and ripped her away. His attack left gashes in the stone floor.

            “Ah! What do we do what do we do?” Torunka ran around as though his robes had caught fire. “Regulus is gonna kill us!”

            I moved my sword to my left hand. “He can try his best.”

            “Rain, wait!” Luna tugged at my cloak. “He was like this earlier, and with that staff on him, he’s dangerous!”

            “Hey, kitty.” Regulus glowered at me. I kept my focus on the staff clamped on his leg. “I’m pretty tasty. Want to give it a shot?”

            He bared his fangs and leapt at me. My left foot swept back and found root as I braced myself. I held up my right arm and his sharp teeth sunk deep into my forearm. The pain was intense enough to force a grunt out of me, and hot blood dripped onto the ground.

            My gaze remained on the staff. Blue fire sparked in my palm, and strength I had never known allowed me to slam Regulus against the earth while his fangs were clamped down on me. He released me to roar in pain. A mold of him was left cracked into the stone tiles. In his moments of agony, I leapt towards his back leg and sliced apart the minus staff with my blade. It clattered to the ground. My blood splattered next to it.

            Regulus shook his mighty mane. “What- happened? Why is my back aching so?”

            Luna and Torunka’s jaws dropped. Torunka said, “That. Was. A. Ma. Zing.”

            Luna asked, “Are you okay? And you, Regulus?”

            “I am fine,” said the lion. “I must apologize. I… lost control, and I hurt you, Knight. I am truly sorry.”

            I flexed my bloodied fingers. The fang wound would leave a scar, I was sure. I muttered, “It wasn’t your fault. I’m just glad I was able to do… whatever that was. The power was crazy. I saw it again, the fire my stalker was made of…”

            “The Blue Flame,” Regulus said. “Its appearance means your abilities are almost fully restored from when you used them to save yourself from the Zero Reverse!”

            I did… what?

            “Blue Flame? That means… no!” Zeman shouted. “Y-you must be just some human! You can’t be _her_! W-wait, the negative curse isn’t affecting you! Unless-”

            A black, skintight suit crawled over my skin. Over it grew armor plating in the same design as my runner: dull gold cascading downwards like dragon scales. In a flash, my runner helmet covered my head.

            There was a presence with me, one with a stronger tie than any other being I had encountered. It was sisterly and pressed me onward like a hand on the small of my back. Its sense of encouragement gifted me with a pride and surety I had never known. I stood with my back straight, my shoulders rolled back, and I exhumed absolute authority.

            “No, no!” squealed the Ape King. “You’re supposed to be dead with the other knights! You can’t be here! _You can’t_!”

            “What’s going on, Rain?” Luna took in my new appearance. “First you save Regulus, and now you have cool armor?”

            “…Luna. You were able to do the same as me with your cunning. I know how easy it is to feel hopeless, but you can rise so far beyond what you believe yourself to be. That’s why the Crimson Dragon chose you. You are the one to save this realm. Ancient Fairy Dragon calls to you still.”

            “She… she does?” Luna observed her arm, and her claw mark of the Crimson Dragon cast scarlet light onto the trapped monsters creating the throne room’s walls. Luna closed her eyes. “I hear her. Ancient Fairy Dragon… is here!”

             A small yellow light emerged from the light-filled pit and transformed into the crag holding Ancient Fairy Dragon. It had begun to deteriorate, but it wasn’t completely destroyed.

            “Impossible,” squealed Zeman. “She was trapped to where no one could locate her!”

            “Our crimson threads twine ever stronger than your power,” I stated. “Luna, your prayers and wishes have the power to restore the spirits. Your connection was never lost. Please save them while I take care of this traitor.”

            Luna nodded, placed her right hand on Ancient Fairy Dragon’s stone, and closed her eyes. Her sign sparkled, and red light flared through Fairy Dragon’s outline. The fading skeleton lightened; skin and wings began to grow.

            Zeman started towards Luna. I turned to face him, my hand tightening around my sword. My cape fluttered behind me like a menacing shadow. I commanded, “Take no step further.”

            “You hold no power over me, Knight of Destiny! I answer to a new master!”

            “Then you face execution.” I shot a beam of energy at him. It struck him in his chest, and he was catapulted against his throne. Its stone cracked under the force. Regulus tailed me as I approached the false king. “Do you have any last words?”

            “W-whatever happens here, it won’t change the fate of both worlds! The Dark Signers will win! Devack will destroy you, and I’ll give him my power before I fall! Dark Signer, I offer you m-”

            I tossed my blade like a boomerang. It sliced through his neck before his chant could finish. Purple blood stained my sword and puddled onto the seat of the throne. Zeman’s cold body slowly crumpled, and when it fell off the throne, it disintegrated into dust.

            Before I returned my bloodied blade to its sheath, I blasted the throne once more. It shattered into a thousand stone fragments. The wake of the destruction left my cloak flapping. “The Spirit World is a free realm.”

            “Holy crap,” Torunka said. He was staring at me with wide eyes. “I’ve heard all the stories, but seeing a Knight in action is… awesome!”

            “We did it!” Luna perked up as she returned to her normal age. She ran to my side and watched the fully restored dragon at the room’s center. The crag crumbled to reveal a shining, fairy-winged dragon. The bright blue beast fluttered into the air.

            Torunka was far, far older than the child I knew him as. His true self was an age-old magician. With a hearty laugh, he said, “Our master is freed!”

            Ancient Fairy Dragon unleashed her soothing song of a roar. Grand, yellow light shone from her wings and freed the duel spirits from their stone card prisons. They filled the hall, and when they touched the ground, they bowed. Regulus and Torunka followed suit.

            The realization slapped me: they were bowing to _us_. Embarrassment pinked my cheeks. “U-um. I’m happy to have helped you all, but this is a little overkill.”

            “Same here,” Luna mumbled, matching my expression. “But Rain, you were really cool and commanding. I’ve never seen you like that!”

            True… the last time I felt any confidence was when I fought alongside my partner. Was I different now? Or was it only thanks to the presence with me?

            Ancient Fairy Dragon rose from her bow and addressed us. “Luna, Regulus, Torunka, Knight, thank you all for your help. Now the Spirit World is safe once again.”

            Cheers went up from all around. She continued: “There is still a major battle ahead to save your world as well, starting with this first Dark Signer. Luna, your brother fights with his heart, but I’m afraid it is not enough.”

            “No! We have to help him! How can we get back?”

            “I will send you back to him,” the fairy dragon answered. “Good luck.”

            “We await your return, Knight of Destiny,” Regulus said.

            My armor exploded off of me in a shower of light. “When I come back, I hope I remember you all!”

            Ancient Fairy Dragon’s eyes tilted down. “Oh, my dear Rain. When you remember, I pray you find the goodness in your heart. Remember little Luna.”

            “What do you-” A surge of light flashed and we appeared back in the B.A.D. Area. Dammit, of course. Every time I got close to asking something ripped my chance away.

            “Leo!” Luna’s heartbroken cry brought me back to reality. Leo teetered in front of us. Bruises and burns darkened patches of his skin. I sheathed my saber and ran to his side with Luna on the other. The dark flames of the Monkey glyph surged through the ground around us.

            “The real Signer finally decides to show herself. Welcome to the battleground, Luna.” The Dark Signer, Devack, stood before us. His yellow-trimmed hood fell over his black eyes, which glinted by purple firelight.

            “I’m sorry,” Leo whimpered beside me. “I… couldn’t do it…”

            “Why would you challenge him, Leo?” I asked. “You saw the duel between Kalin and Yusei!”

            “I didn’t want anything to happen to… Luna… have to protect you, sis…”

            Luna’s hands covered her mouth, and tears streamed down her cheeks. “Leo!”

            “Hey, Rain…” Leo stumbled, and his eyes were blank. “You… saved me, so you can do the same to her. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you, Luna…”

            The downward tilted corners of my mouth trembled. “You can count on me, Leo.”

            Leo collapsed. Devack laughed at Leo’s attempt, which shot fury through Luna. Her sign lit with the feeling. Devack placed the cards he had on the field back into his deck and shuffled it. Luna shouted, “What did you do to Leo?”

            “I merely showed him the powers of the darkness. Don’t worry; your time will come soon!”

            “Luna! Rain!” Trudge and Yusei watched the duel anxiously from the second story of a half-fallen, gray building. I raised my right arm to wave at them but winced and grasped at the deep fang mark. Yusei asked, “What happened? Are you okay?”

            I spoke to the Crimson Dragon in my thoughts: _He’s not dueling Kalin. I’m starting to understand my confidence when it came to controlling my own fate, don’t you?_

_I feel an incredible power sleeping within you, Knight of Destiny._

_It chose a good day to show itself!_ I smiled at my old teammate. “Hey, Yusei! I hope you stick around to watch Luna and I kick this Dark Signer’s ass in Leo’s place!”

            “Bold words for a powerless human,” Devack said, “Roman fearing you doesn’t change a thing. You are nothing. If you want to die today, you’ve come to the right place.”

            Fat chance. I would get my dragon back, and he would fall like his servant did. I knew Ancient Fairy Dragon was in his deck somewhere; we just had to win it back. I held out my disk, and when I did, my cape fluttered behind me. I kept my right arm limp at my side whenever possible. Its forearm burned with pain when I moved it. This wound… it’s like I was a Signer in my own special way. “Are you ready to duel this creep, Luna?”

            She was still caught on Leo’s state, and her eyes glistened. “I c-can’t… duel. Leo always does it for me. He always protects me, and now he’s..!”

            I dropped to a knee and took her hand in mine. The duel disk further up on her arm was a custom model painted pink like her outfit. “You can do this. No, _we_ can do this. Leo may be too out of it to go on. My partner may be my enemy. Doesn’t change that two halves make a whole just like you said to me when I was at my lowest. You and I are tagging this, and I’m coming through on my promise. You can duel on your own. We _will_ win.”

            Her courage climbed higher with each word. When she nodded at me, fierce determination blazed in her gold-gray eyes. In unison, we shouted:

 

**“DUEL START!”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (◕‿◕✿) thank you for the kudos, you guys, and I hope y'all had a great Valentine's! I love you! ♥‿♥ Next chapter will be the very first Dark Signer duel! Hope you enjoy!
> 
> 'cause rain sure won't


	17. Legendary Knight Timaeus

            The violet blazes of the Monkey glyph roared like a dragon. The dark mark’s reflection brightened against the black clouds blanketing the sky. Devack’s curled smile stood out under the shadow of his yellow-lined, black cloak. “Your day of reckoning has arrived, Signer. The pitiful human will share your fate. I offer one final grace. You may have the first move.”

            I nodded at Luna. “You do the honors.”

            “Got it! I summon Regulus in attack mode, place two cards face down, and end my turn,” Luna said. Our friend from the Spirit World burst into our field with a mighty roar. Devack was next.

            “I draw, summon Magician Ape in attack mode, and activate its ability! By discarding one card from my hand, I take control of your monster.” The beast wore garbs marked by stars and held a staff similar to those wielded by the monkeys in the Spirit World. He cast the dark energy upon Regulus, infecting him with the same curse as earlier. “Magician Ape attacks directly!”

            The monkey flew over and whacked Luna with his staff, making her scream in pain as our life points dropped to 3200.

            “Luna! Are you okay?” Her fire wasn’t out; she held a hand over her heart and stood rock-steady. I had forgotten about the stipulations of a Shadow Duel. All of the damage was real, and if we lost… Luna and I would both die.

            No, we wouldn’t. I’d follow through on Leo’s wish!

            “Now I attack you with your own monster! Regulus, strike the girl directly!” Regulus bared his fangs and rushed forward. I shoved her out of the way; Regulus’s tackle catapulted me through the air, and I hit the ground rolling. Our life points fell to 1500. “Ha! I can’t say I’m surprised. The shadows are no match for even a Signer to stand up to! I set one card face-down and end my turn!”

            “Rain!” she cried.

            I shoved to my feet. My right forearm pulsed from the action. “No need to fear for a knight. My turn, I draw! I summon Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV4 to the field and attack Magician Ape!”

            The bronze dragon spewed a swarm of ebony flames, destroying the ape and burning through 800 of Devack’s life points. Fire singed his robes, but he didn’t flinch. I said, “Now that my turn is over and Horus destroyed a monster, he levels up! Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6 takes the field!”

            “Haha, is that all? My turn again. I sacrifice Regulus to summon Fighter Ape!” A five-star monster with 1900 attack sprung onto the field. The single card in his backline flipped up. Two antler-like horns sprouted from Fighter Ape’s temples, and its attack increased to 2700. “Horn of the Phantom Beast equips to my monster. Battle Horus LV6!”

            Fighter Ape tossed off my dragon, who landed on me before breaking. I grit my teeth under the impact of his huge weight, and our life points fell to 1100. Devack chuckled at my struggle and said, “My trap allows me to draw a card since your monster was sent to the grave, and Fighter Ape’s ability increases its attack by 400 points. I set a spell or trap and end my turn.”

            Luna drew, but she looked unsure afterwards. “I summon Spirit of the Breeze in attack position, set one card face-down, and end my turn.”

            “Are you losing it, Signer?” Devack asked. “You placed a monster with zero attack strength in attack position! You’ve lost! I summon Voltic Kong, and-”

            “I activate Threatening Roar,” Luna said. “This prevents you from entering your Battle Phase this turn!”

            My heavy heart lightened. She actually… added it to her deck.

“Fine. I end my turn, and Fighter Ape’s attack decreases by the 400 it gained since it did not attack this turn. You can hide behind your pathetic cards as long as you want. They won’t save you!”

            “This card is anything but pathetic,” Luna said. “It represents the friendship Rain and I have, and it shows that we’re survivors!”

            Survivors.

The crimson spark shot her same confidence through me, and it inspired my draw.

            “Spirit of the Breeze’s effect activates!” Luna called. Each of our standby phases it’s in attack position, we regain 1000 life points!”

            Our counter increased to 2100. My respect for her play was shared along our crimson thread. The joy in her smile was a light to overcome the dark around us. I looked to my hand again, and observed the cards I had once considered dead weight. The Eye of Timaeus displayed a blue dragon with a scarred eye, and the Claw of Hermos bore a similar red dragon. Though the descriptions used to be blank, green light etched words onto them in the same ancient language written on my duel disk and sword. A memory sparked deep within my mind, and I was dragged into the past.

* * *

 

            “You do not have to stare at me like that. We are equals, you and I.”

            My mouth was agape without my knowing it, so I forced it shut. Timaeus was unfazed judging by his unchanging expression. We stood by the shoreline observing a distant city floating on the ocean waves. I said, “S-sorry, I just, I don’t agree. I’m… I mean, I’ve always looked up to you, and you know… what I’ve done.”

            “The past is just that.” Timaeus’s single, violet eye scanned me up and down. “There’s no need to be nervous, general. Say, how about a little lesson to pass the time?”

            “Um, okay.”

            “Hand signals,” he started, “are useful for quick communication. We like to use different forms of salutes. Full-handed salutes are for showing extreme gratitude and respect, for example, if someone were to save your life in battle. Index finger salutes indicate charge in. A three-finger salute laid over the heart means retreat. Thumb-folded salutes represent victory. Fists used in salutes mean defeat.

            “The last salute used is to be used rarely. It is the two-fingered salute, and it represents a personal farewell in face of a mighty struggle. Typically it shows victory through great sacrifice and honor in doing so. The two-fingered salute is an eternal farewell.”

            “I see,” I said. Silence settled between us. Waves crashed against the shore. Black smoke climbed towards the heavens from the city on the sea. I snapped to attention, set two fingers against my brow, and saluted the Legendary Knight Timaeus.

            “General.” The word escaped on his breath like an uneasy sigh. “It is disheartening to an army to see their leader giving up so soon.”

            “You said it is personal. What’s so wrong if I don’t see myself surviving this? You know about Shining Nova.”

            “Constantly expecting the worst case scenario is no way to live, Rain Orichalcum,” Timaeus scolded. “We will live to see another day. Hold the sentiment in your heart, and our army will share your determination.”

            My laugh was empty. “How am I supposed to believe in myself? I mean, have you looked at me, like, ever?”

            “This is so much more than yourself, General. Look to them. They will show you the way.”

            Timaeus pointed down the shore, where hundreds of Duel Monsters were gathered. Their grumbles and fidgeting were clear signs of nervousness, same as mine. I gulped. I wasn’t some natural-born leader, nor was I brave in the face of death. But, for them…

            I stood straighter. I shouted for their attention, and I executed a thumb-folded salute – a premature victory. The army shouted and some leapt into the air with excitement.

* * *

 

            I blinked as I took in my surroundings: the darkness above from the intensifying storm, the violet flames of Devack’s dark sign, and the Dark Signer himself opposite me. I observed the cards in my hand. Their descriptions were in my language. They were my cards. They were my friends. Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos were far from dead weight.

            “I activate the Eye of Timaeus! Combining this card with Prime Material Dragon in my hand creates Healing Light Dragon!” The cobalt dragon soared onto the field. His scales transformed into solid gold, and parts of them flaked off as he flew. Healing Light Dragon had 2500 attack and 1700 defense. “Next, I combine The Claw of Hermos with Exploder Dragon to create an equip spell known as Flamewing Webbing! Since Healing Light Dragon is a Dragon-type, he can know this spell’s power!”

            Fire danced along the skin of Healing Light’s wings. Its attack increased to 2800, 100 more than Fighter Ape’s. “Healing Light Dragon attacks Fighter Ape!”

            A wingbeat sent a tornado of golden sparkles towards Devack’s monster. The flakes swirled around him and returned to me, healing some of my scrapes. Luna’s and my life counter increased to 4800. Devack growled, “ _What_?”

            “When Healing Light Dragon successfully attacks a monster, I regain life points equal to that monster’s attack! Unfortunately, my dragon can’t destroy monsters by battle, but that doesn’t stop my equip spell’s power! When the equipped dragon battles, the monster it battles with is destroyed at the end of the Battle Phase!”

            Flames leapt from my dragon’s wings, formed a smaller monster, and shot through Fighter Ape. It and Devack’s trap went to the grave. Devack said, “I didn’t lose the 100 life from the battle?”

            “Correct. Flamewing Webbing prevents the equipped monster from inflicting any battle damage.”

            “Then what’s the point?” he shouted. “All you fools can do is play defensively!”

            “Defense is the strongest offense,” Yusei offered from behind us. “Rain has set up a strong play that will be difficult to break without benefiting her. Nice work, teammate.”

            Beside him, Trudge grunted. “Coming from the guy with the best stall in the Satellite, I’d say that’s a fine compliment.”

            I grinned. Trudge really hated him, didn’t he? I bet he’d lost to Yusei more than once. My teammate would never lose to a dumb Security, after all. “I set one card face-down and pass my turn to you.”

            Devack drew, observing me in silence for a moment. “What connections do you have to Timaeus and Hermos, human? Does this have to do with the dragon Roman mentioned?”

            I threw up my good arm. “Thanks to Roman, I can’t tell you. Can’t explain what you don’t know and all that.”

            A look of horrible realization overcame his features. “You were in the Spirit World, but the young Signer is the only human who can cross between realms. That means you’re not human. You truly are a monster!”

            I tilted my head. “Excuse me?”

            “Rain is the Knight of Destiny, and she’s gonna kick your butt!” Luna shouted.

            “Knight of Destiny?” Sweat beaded on his face. “That… that can’t be. The Knight of Destiny is dead. Zeman told me about the Spirit World’s history.”

            Luna said, “He had that same look on his face when Rain took him down while wearing her armor!”

            I bit my lip. “Luna, _please_ stop.”

            “If that’s true, then the Knight… and Roman… if Roman knew, was he setting me up to..? No, he wouldn’t do that. You will watch both of your worlds fall, Knight!”

            Both… of my worlds..?

            “I sacrifice Voltic Kong to summon another Fighter Ape and use my trap, Graceful Revival, to restore my discarded Dark Tuner Dark Ape! Next, I use the spell card, Dark Wave! This swaps Fighter Ape’s five stars into negative five stars, allowing Dark Ape to tune with Fighter Ape to Dark Synchro Summon Zeman, the Ape King! I also activate the field spell, Closed Forest! This increases the attack of my beast monsters by 100 for each monster in my grave.”

            Our old cloaked friend appeared, lacking the staff… and mortal wound. He had 2500 attack points bumped up to 2900 as a deep thicket surrounded us, clouding our view from anything but the duel. Devack said, “I use Zeman to attack Spirit of the Breeze!”

            Dammit! I’d completely forgotten about Luna’s monster! The Ape King held his staff aloft. Black energy blasted through Luna’s monster and shocked me. I screamed as our life counter dropped to 1900, and my clothes were left steaming. My muscles twitched. I was still standing. Devack scowled, saying, “I’ll kill the both of you yet. I set one card face-down and end my turn.”

            Luna peered at me. “Rain, you-”

            “Take care of this, Luna,” I said. “It’s your turn to eliminate Zeman.”

            Though still reluctant, she nodded. “I attack Zeman, the Ape King with Healing Light Dragon!”

            “Zeman’s effect activates,” he said. “By discarding, your attack is negated!”

            “I was hoping you’d do just that,” Luna said. “I use Rain’s trap, Divine Wrath! I send a card from my hand to the grave to negate Zeman’s effect and destroy him!”

            Despite the loss, a wide smile was on Devack’s face. “I use my trap, Dark Matter! When a Dark Synchro is destroyed, I can draw two cards and immediately set them on my monster field no matter what kind of card they are. Oh, and I’ve been paying attention to the details of your special dragon cards. Healing Light Dragon cannot target a face-down monster for attacks!”

            Luna glanced at me with fear cast over her features. I said, “It’s true. A dragon of light cannot strike those cowering in the dark.”

            She set her jaw and said, “I end my turn.”

            “Finally, the time has arrived for you to experience pain only hell can deliver! I sacrifice my two set cards to summon Earthbound Immortal Cusillu!” A brown, shell-shaped object appeared high in the air among Closed Forest’s branches and pulsed like a heart.

            _That is a heart,_ said the Crimson Dragon. _It must employ the power of absorbed souls to materialize the dark god in this realm._

_What souls? No one’s here-_

            “My Earthbound Immortal requires more than holographic sacrifices. By infecting the Spirit World with my negative energy, I created a breach so my Earthbound Immortal can absorb your precious spirits!”

            “No!” Luna and I shouted in unison. A bright portal opened beneath the heart, and souls streamed through the tear. I saw Torunka, Regulus, and some of my favorite monsters like Luster Dragon and Alien Shocktrooper. Their screams, grunts, and roars deafened me. I pressed my palms to my ears and noticed Luna doing the same. Tears stained her cheeks.

            The hole closed, and darkness exploded from the lingering heart. A massive, black simian with yellow veins spawned. Its high-pitched battle cry made the tree trunks shiver. Earthbound Immortal Cusillu’s 2800 attack boosted to 3300.

            “It doesn’t matter,” I said. “Flamewing Webbing keeps Healing Light Dragon from being destroyed, and your Earthbound Immortal will be destroyed if it attacks my dragon!”

            “You assume any monster in your deck poses a threat to the power of a wicked god,” Devack said. “As long as a field spell exists, Earthbound Immortals gain three special abilities. First, they cannot be targeted by attacks from your monsters. Second, they cannot be targeted by your spells or traps. Third, Cusillu can attack you directly!”

            My face fell. We couldn’t survive this. Luna would be crushed, and… we’d both die.

            Devack laughed at my hopelessness. “You’re doomed! Attack the little Signer directly, Earthbound Immortal Cusillu! Deliver them unto hell!”

            The monkey’s paw descended upon Luna. She stared at it with unmoving bravery. The attack bounced off a protective bubble. “I activate my Kuribon’s effect! Since you attacked directly, I can change your damage to zero and special summon Kuribon!”

            The tiny, furry creature bounded onto the field while I released a sigh. My chest was still tight and my pulse pounded, but Luna had saved us. Kuribon’s huge, green eyes closed in an upward angle as though it smiled despite having no mouth. I laughed at the sight.

            “You’ve only been saved one turn,” Devack stated. “With my Earthbound Immortal on the field, you have no chance of winning. I set one card face-down and end my turn.”

            I grinned. “That one turn is all we needed. See, now I can play my trump card, which I’ve been saving since the beginning of the duel!”

            “There is no ‘trump card’ for a dark god!” Devack shouted.

            The crimson spark electrified my veins. “That’s where you’re wrong! I activate the effect of The Crimson Dragon in my hand! Since there’s an Earthbound Immortal on the field, I can special summon him to my field!”

            The Dragon emerged from his Vessel, casting his red glow against every leaf in the forest. My friend wielded 2500 attack points. My smile now included fangs.

            “That Dragon was with you?” His unnerved look broke in an instant. “It doesn’t matter! The Dragon doesn’t have near enough attack power to destroy my Immortal, and thanks to its effect, no monster can even attack it!”

            “So you think. The Crimson Dragon has the ability to attack Earthbound Immortals. When he does, he gains attack equal to that of the Immortal. Feel the force of a true god! The Crimson Dragon attacks with Crimson Star Flight!” The Dragon cloaked himself in a harsh red glow while he burst through the dark being. Cusillu melted by the power of the Crimson Dragon. Devack had a horrified look on his face as his life points dropped to 700.

            “Stop! Before my Earthbound Immortal is destroyed, I’ll activate my trap card, Cursed Prison to bring Ancient Fairy Dragon to the field in defense position with its effect negated! My dark god has a personal special ability. By sacrificing another monster when Cusillu would be destroyed by battle, my dark god remains intact and your life points are halved!”

            The powder blue dragon appeared and deteriorated in the blink of an eye. Ancient Fairy Dragon’s essence stained black and buzzed around me like a swarm of stinging insects. Our life counter dropped to 950.

            “You just triggered Luna’s trap card, Respect Synchron! She played this at the beginning of the duel because she _knew_ you would use our dragon recklessly. When you destroy your own Synchro monster with your own card effect, I can bring it to my field.” Ancient Fairy Dragon burst onto our side, where it belonged. The Earthbound Immortal loomed over us, but I doubted it was long for this realm. “I end my turn.”

            “My draw! Earthbound Immortal Cusillu attacks the Knight directly!”

            “Healing Light Dragon’s final effect activates!” I exclaimed. “When an attack would drop my life points to zero, I can tribute Healing Light Dragon and gain life points equal to my dragon’s original attack before the damage is calculated!”

            “Not the damned dragon again,” Devack seethed. “It makes no difference to the agony my god will deliver unto you!”

            The golden dragon pierced through the thicket above and cried out. Gilded sparkles rained upon us. Our life points boosted to 3450. Earthbound Immortal Cusillu’s fist continued through the yellow light, smashing me against the ground before I could move away.

            “Rain!” Luna ran into the crater left by Cusillu’s strike. She helped me to my knees. Pain flared through my bones, but with her support, I managed to stand. “You… you kept us alive!”

            “One more turn,” I said. “End him.”

            “Got it! I’ll start by activating Ancient Fairy Dragon’s effect, destroying your Field Spell and giving us 1000 life points!” Our counter grew to 1150 while Cusillu’s attack lowered to 2800. The now-visible sky, though dark and bleak, broke my claustrophobia. I breathed in deep. My aches eased.

            I thought, _Wait, I could have used her ability! Why didn’t you tell me, Dragon?_

The Crimson Dragon’s head swung around to glare at me. _Ancient Fairy Dragon is not your Signer Dragon._

_But I almost- oh, whatever. Fair point._

            “Is that- is that the Crimson Dragon?” Yusei shouted. He and Trudge were able to watch the duel with the field spell gone.

            Luna asked, “Is it… okay for me to command him, Rain?”

            “It is his honor, not yours,” I said with a smile. She reflected it.

            “This can’t be real,” Devack said. Scarlet light was cast upon his skin. “The dark god’s power promised a new world!”

            “That world will be one without you!” Luna shouted. “Finish this, Crimson Dragon! Destroy Earthbound Immortal Cusillu with Crimson Star Flight!”

            The Dragon flashed through the sky, splattering the Earthbound Immortal as Devack’s life points dropped to zero. His screams matched the wicked god’s as crimson exploded like a solar flare and seared the pair. The dark fires of the glyph faded away, and the Dragon returned to me. Its aura lingered around my body a few moments after returning.

            _Excellent work to you and the young Signer. You command your strokes in battle with confident stride, young dragon. I am proud._

            I gave Ancient Fairy Dragon to Luna, who accepted it gratefully. “The Dragon says he’s proud. From me personally, it’s a shame you haven’t been dueling. You’re very skilled at it.”

            Her eyes shone. “W-woah. Thanks…”

            “Wow, that was awesome, you guys!” Leo stumbled between us. “Those dragons were all bam and… and… Man, I’m kind of tired.”

            Luna started laughing, but the Dragon’s senses fired a warning through me. I pushed them back and stepped away myself as Devack fell with his arms outstretched towards us like claws.

            “Roman… forgive me.” He collapsed as a pile of dust like the simians under his command. Yusei and Trudge ran down to us.

            “Rain, Luna, Leo, that was amazing,” Yusei complimented. “The Crimson Dragon… somehow, I suspected it was with you all along. How did you hide it from Godwin?”

            I formed a claw over my heart. “I have my ways. Leo, Luna, are you guys okay?”

            “Yeah,” they answered in unison.

            “What about _you,_ Rain? Those attacks looked like they hurt,” she observed. “And, your arm…”

            “I’ll live,” I said, shrugging my shoulders. Actually, it hurt less than I thought it would.

_That would be my power_ , said the Crimson Dragon. _The true pain will hit you once my energy runs out._

Oh, joy.

            Luna turned to Leo next. “Leo, you’re not looking so hot. Do you need to head back?”

            “No way I’m missing the other battles! I’ll be fine, too.”

            I pressed on my remote, remembering my runner had probably crashed when I disappeared. I said, “Luna, you need to seal the control unit with the Signer Dragon.”

            “Right!” She dashed to the tower and placed the card inside. A light flashed, so she grabbed the card and ran out just as the door was closing. The tower shook ferociously as it sank into the ground. “Done.”

            I asked, “Yusei, why are you here in the first place?”

            “When I saw the huge light, I thought something might be wrong, so I headed back. When I got here, I found Leo dueling the Dark Signer.”

            “You little punk!” Trudge fumed. “We tried to stop him, but he wouldn’t listen!”

            Leo only laughed.

            “That’s not funny!” Luna declared. “You really got hurt!”

            “Yeah, but it was actually pretty fun!”

            “Luna.” Ancient Fairy Dragon was still flying above us.

            “Huh? It’s speaking? There’s no way it’s some kind of spirit,” Trudge yelled. “The holograms must still be active or something!”

            “I’m most definitely real, Tetsu Trudge,” she told him. He promptly fainted, making Yusei catch him. I couldn’t help but laugh.

            Regulus appeared before us as well. He said, “Thanks to you, all of the spirits are safe now.”

            “Oh, it wasn’t just me! I couldn’t have done it without Rain and Leo!”

            Ancient Fairy Dragon said, “Of course. Thank you all, too. Good luck with your fight. Knight of Destiny, stand with humanity!”

            “Knight of Destiny,” I repeated. My eyes sparkled after the light they left. “I felt like I’d done that a thousand times before when the spirits bowed to me in my armor. I had this crazy confidence, too, like I wasn’t… myself. Who was I? What memories am I missing?”

            “I bet you have an amazing history, Rain,” Luna offered.

            “Hate to say it, but you were pretty great in the duel,” Leo admitted. “Uh, for a girl, anyway.”

            Yusei’s royal blue eyes bore into me. “The Crimson Dragon doesn’t choose just anyone.”

            I wanted to believe that, but Ancient Fairy Dragon looked so sad when I mentioned my past… and I made a lot of mistakes in that duel. I observed the fingerless glove on my right hand. The initials K. o. D. made perfect sense now. I wished I had that confidence back. Tag duels used to be so easy. My gloved hand balled into a fist.

            Until he took everything from me.

            “Ugh… must have been hallucinating,” Trudge muttered. They all laughed at him. I couldn’t join in.

            After they quieted down, Leo said, “So… what are we doing next?”

            Yusei and I locked eyes. He said, “I’m going to the Giant’s tower to face Kalin.”

            A flash blurred my eyes. I gripped my temples and fell to my knees while the Dragon spoke. _Another Dark Signer has been born!_

_Who is it?_

_Greiger is his name._

_Isn’t that the name of the man from the Fortune Cup who tried to kill Rex Godwin?_

_Maybe._

_You’re no help at all!_

_I just saved your lives!_

_That was a card, not you._

_That was me!_

_Nuh-uh._

            “Rain! What’s wrong?” Yusei’s voice stopped us from arguing. I opened my eyes and stood, steadying myself on his shoulder.

            “Another Dark Signer was born. His name’s Greiger.”

            “Greiger? Why would he be a Dark Signer?”

            “I don’t know! Now we’re going to have to take care of him first.”

            Yusei set his jaw, thinking. “I’ll do it.”

            “Then let’s get going!” My runner had come up behind me, so I hopped on. Yusei went to his as well, and Luna and Leo joined Trudge in his car. We lined up and headed off. The Lizard, Hummingbird, and Giant shone against the black clouds in the distance. The newest glyph was closest to us.

            “There it is.” Leo gasped in awe. “A whale.”

            The Crimson Dragon corrected him through me: “Killer Whale, actually.”

            “Whatever!”

            “It’s already lit up! We’ve gotta get there,” Yusei urged. “Rain, can you tell who’s dueling?”

            “I know it’s not a Signer, but that’s it.”

            “That’s worse than I thought. Let’s ride, quickly!” At the flaming whale glyph, we stopped on a ridge overlooking the area. Down below, I was surprised to find a familiar teammate dueling Greiger.

            “Crow!” Yusei called. “What are you doing?”

            The screen on our runners flashed, and Crow’s face popped up. “I’m taking this guy out for what he did to the Satellite!”

            “Crow, no! You’re out of your mind! We’re coming down there to help you.” Yusei shut off the screen and turned to me. “Come on, Rain, let’s go.”

            I nodded as he started up his runner and zoomed off the ridge. Instead of following, I leaned back to watch the Giant glyph floating in the sky. As if Crow needed help. No – This’d work out juuust fine.

            Luna noticed me watching the glyph. “Rain? Are you thinking what I think you’re thinking?”

            “Yup.”

            “Come on! We have to wait for Yusei, Rain!.. I won’t convince you, will I?”

            My eyes flared red with both the Dragon’s and my determination. “Nope.”

            “Cool!” Leo pumped his fists into the air. “We get to watch, right? I really want to watch. Please Trudge, Rain?”

            “Hold on a second. I don’t get it! What are you guys talking about?”

            “I’m going to fight a Dark Signer,” I explained, “and they want to watch.”

            “A Dark Signer you lo-ove,” Leo mocked. I growled at him and he flinched back at my fangs. “Geez, sorry!”

            “Follow if you want. I don’t care.”

            Luna frowned. “Rain, are you really sure about this? I mean, after what happened to Yusei… Kalin was really strong in that duel!”

            “He’s strong, but _I’m stronger_ ,” I urged. My engine roared as I sped back off the ridge. The car started behind me, and the wheels burned rubber. I hid my eyes, deep in thought as I headed straight to the tower. My cape flapped as a dusk trail behind me.

            I thought, _Can’t show any emotion._

_You know it will fail eventually. That’s the kind of person you are._

_How very supportive of you. I can at least try!_

_Try very hard,_ the Dragon advised. The burden in my back pocket grew heavier and heavier as I approached the point of reckoning. _Rain. I discovered why the boy is set on killing you now._

_Y-you did?_

_Yes. The wicked god has deluded his mind. He believes that by winning, you will become a Dark Signer and therefore survive today’s potential apocalypse. He’ll do anything to make you hate him. He’ll do anything to kill you._

_No way… That means-_

_You both fight for the same purpose: saving one another. He’ll fight just as ferociously as you._

I shook off the chill settling over my skin. _He can’t fight as ferociously as me. I’m a young dragon, and a Knight!_

            _Last chance to turn back,_ the Dragon warned.

            _No. I have a score to settle._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next time: angst galore
> 
> Original Card Descriptions:
> 
> OC #1:
> 
> Healing Light Dragon
> 
> Eight-Star, LIGHT Attribute
> 
> [Dragon/Fusion/Effect] [2500 ATK / 1700 DEF]
> 
> The Eye of Timaeus + Prime Material Dragon
> 
> When this card successfully attacks another monster, you gain life points equal to that monster's attack points. This card cannot destroy other monsters by battle and cannot target face-down monsters for attacks. If your life points would fall to zero from an opponent's card attack or effect, you can tribute this card to gain life points equal to this card's original attack before the damage takes place.
> 
> OC #2:
> 
> Flamewing Webbing
> 
> Equip Spell Card
> 
> The Claw of Hermos + Exploder Dragon
> 
> Can only be equipped to Dragon-type monsters. The equipped monster gains 300 attack points and cannot be destroyed by battle. If the equipped monster battles, destroy the monster it battled with at the end of the Battle Phase. The equipped monster cannot deal battle damage.
> 
> OC #3:
> 
> The Crimson Dragon
> 
> Eight-Star, LIGHT Attribute
> 
> [Dragon/Effect] [2500 ATK / 2000 DEF]
> 
> If an "Earthbound Immortal" is on the field, you can special summon this card from your hand. This monster can target "Earthbound Immortal" monsters for attacks despite their effects. When this monster battles an "Earthbound Immortal," during the damage step only, this card's attack increases by the attack of the targeted "Earthbound Immortal".


	18. All For You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a double feature, meaning it's twice the length of a normal chapter.

            The duel disk on my arm strained against the taught wire connecting me to my opponent. By both the tension in the cuffs and the bulges beneath the man’s royal blue jacket, I could tell he was ripped. He stood at least three heads taller than me.

            I further spread my stance and pinned him with a glare. The signature yellow bandana identifying members of the rival gang covered his hair. The gang member tugged his bandana lower – a nervous habit, I guessed – as he observed his hand of cards.

            A stray cat watched our duel from behind him. Its green eyes were stark between its all-black fur. We were at the end of an alley opening to my left. Sunlight shone through the Satellite smog above, illuminating the endless concrete sea we stood upon.

            Shouts in the distance caught my attention: Jack, Yusei, Crow, and Kalin were calling their attacks. I heard an explosion. One of them had won already… and here I was, waiting. “Hurry the hell up.”

            “L-Look, can’t you give up or something?” He pointed to his duel disk. The custom model was painted matte forest green. “This disk is special. I can’t lose it! I swear if you fold, I’ll leave this gang shit behind. I don’t even care about it! I was forced into this so they wouldn’t steal my food! Please, just walk away! Here, look, I pass my turn to you. Now you can end this easy!”

            My bronze dragon, Horus LV8, folded his wings and dropped to the ground. His bright, red eyes bore into me. I guessed he could sense my hesitation.

            Hands grasped my shoulders. I moved to shake them off but _his_ whisper made me freeze: “Rain… Don’t tell me you’re falling for it.”

            I tilted my head to observe him with one eye. Kalin’s grasp on me was light; he looked down on me from behind. His raised eyebrow betrayed the smirk he wore for appearance’s sake. I wondered why he bothered with the lavender headband. His icy-blue locks spilled onto his face with the leaning of his head despite it.

            “I can handle this myself,” I whispered back.

            “There’s no doubt about that, but… I know you. So. I just thought I’d offer some information.” Kalin leaned in so close his breath tickled my ear. My stomach coiled. “The guy you decided to take on just so happens to be this gang’s creator and top dog.”

            My leader let go of me and stepped away. I stared at my feet, stunned. _If that’s true, everything he said was-_

            “What’re you two whispering about?” my opponent asked. He observed Kalin, who was standing a few feet to my right. Kalin held his stare with his chin held high and one hand on his hip. “Y-you’re letting me go, right? I didn’t have anything to do with this!”

            I stood straighter in an attempt to match my leader’s confident stature. “Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8 attacks you directly!”

            A beam of ebony fire consumed the man. He shouted and his duel disk exploded; I withdrew my pair of cuffs and pocketed them. My opponent tore off his bandana and busted duel disk and threw them to the concrete. In his fit of rage, he spun around, swung back his leg, and kicked the stray cat against the alley wall.

            The cat’s pained mew welled tears in my eyes. Two pairs of footsteps pounded on the pavement out of the alley but my focus remained on the animal, which wasn’t moving. I ran to its side and gathered the furry, black bundle in my arms. Its breathing was shallow. My streaming tears dotted sparkles on its coat.

            I stroked the stray’s head. One of its ears was ripped, and patches of fur were missing. Gradually, its breathing steadied, and mine with it.

            “Hey… you doing okay?” Kalin dropped to a crouch beside me. His hazel eyes carried the tilt of concern. I wanted to wipe away my tears but I wouldn’t let go of the cat. It was starting to squirm. The sign of life loosed the knot in my stomach.

            I muttered, “It’s my fault this happened.”

            “Tch! No, it’s not! It was that piece of shit-” His scowl changed back into a plain frown when he saw the cat. “H-hey, it’s clawing at you. You should let go.”

            The stray’s paw caught on the skin of my arm and left a shallow scratch. I had hardly noticed. “I- I can’t. What if it s-still needs help? Wh-what if-”

            I bit back a sob but the tears fell faster. He said, “It’s okay, really. You can let go.”

            I held tighter but noticed something. My grip slackened; the stray darted away from us. I reached forward, grasped my leader’s wrist, and pulled it towards me. Two of his knuckles were split. Blood covered his hand. “What happened?”

            “It’s… not important- hey! What are you-?” I used the bottom of my shirt to clean the blood away.

            “You shouldn’t have done that for me,” I mumbled. He flipped his hand around. Its glove was clean again.

            “Who said it was for you? Maybe I like cats too, okay?” I regarded him for a few moments before my focus fell to the pavement. Spots darkened where my tears landed. He whispered, “Please don’t cry.”

            I sniffled. “Why?”

            “I hate it when you do.”

            “That doesn’t make me feel better.”

            “Yeah, well-” He scratched under his headband. “You can’t stand up to a guy like that then break down, okay? That can’t happen. I mean, you can’t kick ass like you do and keep ending up like… this. People like you don’t exist. Especially in the Satellite.”

            “I don’t exist?”

            “That’s not what I’m saying! Look, I… I think you’re great, and you shouldn’t let what some dumbass did get to you.”

            “You… really think that?”

            He stared at me for a moment then slightly laughed. He reiterated, “Yes, I ‘really think that,’ Rain.”

            I wiped at my tears but they wouldn’t stop. “W-would you hold me?”

            “What, you mean like, hug you? Uh, well, I…” He stared at his hands as though he did not know what to do with them.

            “I’m alright,” I assured. “You don’t have to-”

            I gasped as he pulled me against him. My head lolled on his chest and my tears stained his red shirt. Once I felt I was able to regain composure, I backed away and rubbed the heels of my hands over my cheeks to dry them. “Th-thanks.”

            He pushed to his feet with one hand and used the other to wipe at his mouth despite nothing being there. “Let’s not make this a regular thing.”

            “…I’ll try.”

            He pointed an accusatory finger at me and shouted, “I need better than trying!”

            “Why? Is it not fair to the other teammates under your leadership? Should they get hugs, too?”

            “Oh my _God_ , shut _up_ ,” he said. “No, it’s not about them. You’re… different.”

            “Different how?”

            “Well, for one, they don’t start crying while on missions. For two…” He grasped his swelling knuckles. “I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

            “I don’t see how that makes me different, unless you don’t care about them.”

            “I refer you back to number one. They also wouldn’t almost forfeit for pitying an enemy!”

            I buried my head in my hands and muttered, “I’m sorry. I almost… messed up…”

            “Wait, I didn’t mean-” He sighed. “Goddammit. You didn’t mess up! You beat him, like how you beat everyone! You’re different because you should act like the amazing duelist you are but instead you act like you’re the worst! Stop it! That’s an order!”

            My hands fell. “I-I’m sorry. It’s just hard to believe. Unless… you’re with me. Then there’s no question.”

            He covered his mouth, masking his full expression. “Then I’ll stay with you. We can keep being partners.”

            “R-Really?” He nodded and his arm dropped, revealing his small smile. I hopped to my feet and wrapped my arms around him.

            “Why do you keep doing this? It’s… weird.”

            I only then realized exactly how stiff he was every time I hugged him. I backed away, blushing. “It’s a nice gesture, I think.”

            “A little, I guess. And you’re pretty warm, I guess.”

            “…Do you have any more guesses?”

            His expression flattened. “How long do I have to put up with you again?”

            I laughed, and it brought out his smile. He said, “You shouldn’t be here, Rain. In the Satellite. You’re too nice. But. I’m really happy that you are.”

            “I’m not nice!” I shouted, trying to ignore the heat in my face.

            “Riiight. Well! If anyone tries to use it against you again, or does you wrong…” He thinned his eyes. “I’ll be there.”

            “Wh-what does that mean?”

            He searched my eyes then set his busted hand on top of my head. “I’ll keep you safe, partner. I swear it.”

            _“I’ll keep you safe.”_

_“I’ll protect you.”_

_“I’m going to kill you.”_

            Today, those statements were all the same to my former partner. The black in the sky above and dirt below was broken by a thin ray of fading dawn on the horizon. I thought, _Hey, Crimson Dragon… do you think light ever really goes away? Or is it like the sun, just disappearing from sight for a period of time?_

            _I think there are times even sunlight struggles to reach the surface,_ he said. _There are darknesses capable of blotting out all light._

_Lot of faith you have!_

_…All Dark Signers are evil. The past does not change the present; the past creates it. Do not allow your guard to fall so swiftly, young dragon._

_I wish I could have a guard against him._

            The Giant’s tower loomed closer. My heart thrummed faster and faster; my stomach knotted tighter and tighter. Kalin must have seen me coming, because I heard his engine roar. We charged head on to each other, and we turn braked at the last second. We were stopped side-by-side, face-to-face. His navy runner was traced with an orange line pattern, and his helmet was of matching design. Its eye-guard tinged his black eyes purple.

            He let out his now-insane laugh, stating, “Rain, I just _knew_ you’d be the one to show up. Yusei’s a coward. You’re the opposite, coming to your death so determined.”

            I set my jaw and showed him one of my eyes. “So… you’re really trying to kill me?”

            “Of course I am!” he shouted, and his ferocity bit into my heart. “That’s the only thing a traitor like you deserves. As long as you choose the Signers, we’re enemies. And, oh, Rain. Don’t act so innocent. You’re trying to kill me, too.”

            “If you only knew,” I whispered. “Can you make me one final promise?”

            My former partner scowled. “I don’t remember those working out very well for me.”

            He’s still there. My Kalin… I said, “Promise not to hold back?”

            A wicked smile crept across his face. “Promise.”

 

* * *

 

**“DUEL START!”**

 

            He tossed off his cloak, revealing the glowing dark mark of the Giant on his arm. It shone as the flames of the glyph burned through the dirt around us. I looked up to see the one in the sky brighter than before, indicating the battle’s beginning.

            _Hey, Dragon. If I die, what will happen to me?_

_We’ll have plenty of time to discuss that_ after _you win._

_…Thanks…_

            “How about a little game, Rain? First around the corner gets the first move.”

            I leaned back, and when I did, my cloak sprawled behind me. “You have no idea what you’re dealing with.”

            He whistled. “Look at that! I love the new style. It makes you… darker. You sure you really belong with those Signers? Because you don’t look like it.”

            I crossed my arms and drummed my bloody fingers against my upper arm. “Are we racing or what?”

            His maniacal grin wavered. He adjusted his runner so we faced the same direction. “This side is much better. Wonderful view of that criminal mark of yours. Bet you wish you hadn’t taken it now!”

            “I never have regretted that night.”

            He thinned his dark eyes. “ _I will make you_.”

            Chillbumps rose and my mouth twitched down. My former partner laughed at the subtle movements. “I don’t blame you for being afraid. You can’t hide anything from me. Save yourself the trouble and give up now.”

            My stare rolled along the visible tissue of my right forearm. The gash from Regulus was nastier by each passing minute. “I’m not afraid of you, Kalin.”

            “Oooh, that one wasn’t a lie! Good! I wouldn’t want you to hold back, either. Let’s get this started! Three!”

            In my mind’s eye, I saw my real partner. He’d said, _“You’re totally right, Rain. I’d save you no matter what, and I want what’s best for you.”_

            “Two!”

            I knew what’s best for me, not him. I would not die today. Neither of us would.

            “One!”

            I’d show him just how wrong he was.

            We yelled in unison: “Speed World, activate!”

            Our engines roared as we sped off to see who would go first. My runner was much faster than his, and I was ahead in milliseconds. Before rounding the corner, I slammed the brakes, watching Kalin whiz past before I hit the gas again. “Your turn.”

            “That was stupid,” he snorted, and I smirked back. “I should’ve seen that coming. You never were brave enough to draw first. I’ll show you how it’s done! I summon Infernity Necromancer in defense position, set one face down, and end my turn.”

            Infernity? I’d never heard of the archetype before. The Dragon chimed in. _From Yusei’s duel, I gathered that their special effects activate when the user’s hand is empty._

_Thanks for the tip._ I drew my card, and a corner of my mouth twitched down. There were no monsters in my hand I could immediately summon. I looked at the card I had drawn. The art showed the two dragons I had used before, Timaeus and Hermos, along with a third black dragon. Three matching blades were in a “Y” formation between the Legendary Dragons. The blue knight’s voice echoed in my head as I studied the card.

            _“When you need us the most, we’ll be there.”_

            “Well? Hurry up, Rain! We don’t have all day,” he mocked. “End of the world and all!”

            “I just drew a _very_ special card, but it comes at a price. First, I have to take the two Speed Counters I’ve built up and transfer them to you.”

            His SPC rose to four on the display. “Giving me an advantage already? I didn’t expect you to give up your life so easily.”

            “All good things come at great cost,” I said. “For next I have to banish the three Legendary Dragons from my deck. The Eye of Timaeus, The Claw of Hermos, and the Fang of Critias are out of the game! In their place, the three Legendary Knights, Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos take the field! This is the Speed Spell, Legend of Heart!”

            The same three knights who had met me in the Spirit World burst onto the field, each with 2800 attack. Their capes fluttered like mine.

            “Fancy new tricks can’t protect you,” Kalin assured. “ _Nothing can_.”

            The threat chilled me. Hermos, the red-clad knight, spun around and gave me a thumbs-up. His huge grin and the upward curl it gave his brown eyes offered me a spare few moments of ease. “Alright, Hermos, attack Infernity Necromancer!”

            The crimson knight brandished his blade and attacked the cloaked figure, but an invisible force threw him back. “I activate the trap Depth Amulet! By discarding a card from my hand, I can stop your pathetic excuse for an attack.”

            If I kept attacking I would get rid of his hand quicker. He’d run out of options. Or, judging by the Crimson Dragon’s advice, he’d gain more. I said, “Okay, I set one card and end my turn.”

            “Is that the best you can do?” he asked while swiping a card off his deck. “I’m disappointed, Rain. You’re supposed to be fighting for your life, you know! I summon Infernity Beast in defense mode and end my turn.”

            “And you called _me_ pathetic?” As soon as I drew, a lightning bolt struck behind me. Power coursed through me as I held the blood-red card. Yes, this would help. My knights couldn’t use their abilities properly since my grave was nearly empty. “I hope you haven’t forgotten what I said before we started, Kalin.”

            His grin was sinister. “How could I forget you begging me to hurt you?”

            “Not… that.” He laughed, and I grit my teeth. “I said you have no idea what you’re dealing with! I sacrifice Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos to summon Slifer the Sky Dragon!”

            The three knights transformed into yellow orbs and flew into the sky as lightning swarmed among the black clouds. Spiky sections of the beast’s red, snakelike body slithered in and out of the storm. A blue jewel shone on the top of its head between two beady golden eyes. Slifer’s top mouth shut as the bottom one roared. “Its attack and defense are the number of cards in my hand times 1000, making that 4000. Now Slifer, attack Necromancer with Lightning Vortex!”

            “I’m not impressed.” Kalin giggled and flicked a card away. “Did you forget about Depth Amulet?”

            “I set another face-down and end my turn.” Slifer’s attack and defense dropped to 3000.

            Slifer the Sky Dragon was one of the Egyptian gods. I had the card because I knelt before a pharaoh and requested to use them. He allowed it because I needed their help for… something. Urgh, my head! I shut my eyes tight, trying to remember.

            “You aren’t crying _again_ , are you? Jesus, Rain, grow a spine!” My partner laughed at my grimace and swiped the card off his deck, growing another wicked smile. “Watch closely, Rain. I know Synchro Summoning isn’t your forte, so I’ll take this slow! I sacrifice both of my monsters to summon Dark Tuner Nightmare Hand! By its effect, I special summon Infernity Dwarf from my hand. Now I tune my two star Dwarf to negative ten star Nightmare Hand to Synchro Summon negative eight star Hundred-Eyed Dragon!”

            A dark, metallic fiend crawled out of a dark portal. Alongside it flew a dwarf wielding a flaming axe. Nightmare Hand disappeared into Infernity Dwarf. Black stars merged and aligned in a column of eight, and they winked out of existence. An ink-black dragon tore from the black hole left behind. Purple light shone on its skin, and when I looked closer I saw… eyes, eyes everywhere; the horrifying dragon wielded 3000 attack points. Lightning crashed through the Synchro monster, and they dropped to 1000.

            “Thanks to Slifer’s effect,” I said, answering Kalin’s stunned yet angry look, “every monster you summon loses 2000 attack and defense.”

            He set his jaw but quickly broke into another grin. “That’s a nice trick, but still not good enough. I activate Speed Spell – Power Baton! By sending a monster from my deck to the graveyard, I can increase my dragon’s power by the attack of the sent monster. I’ll send Infernity Destroyer, which has 2300 attack. By the way, I could only use this thanks to your Legend of Heart boosting my SPC count! It needs six, and I would only have five if it weren’t for you. So! Let me do that math for you, Rain. My dragon has 3300 attack for this battle. Who do you think wins? Let’s see! Hundred-Eyed Dragon, destroy Slifer!”

            The dragon’s eyes lit, and it shot a beam of purple breath. Slifer the Sky Dragon exploded like a firework, and its sparkling remains rained upon me. I bit my lip, feeling the energy sear my skin as my life point counter fell to 3700. He only laughed at my painful look. H-he really… didn’t care…

            “Now my dragon’s effect activates. It can use the effect of every dark monster in my grave, so let’s see Infernity Destroyer! When I destroy your monster, you take 1600 points of damage!” Another blast of energy started to head towards me, but a black slab absorbed the attack and transformed it into light.

            “My trap, Energy-Absorbing Monolith, turns your effect damage into my life points! See what happens… when you take things too far?” My life rose from 3700 to 5300.

            “Oh, Rain, you’ll find that I haven’t taken it far _enough_.”

            His wicked side-eye shot my pulse higher. I grasped the bars in front of me and quickly shook my head. “We’ll see about that.”

            “Kalin! What are you doing?” Yusei and Crow appeared upon the same ledge as the twins and Trudge.

            “Dammit!” My grip tightened. “Why did they have to finish so quickly?”

            “Yusei! Nice of you to finally show up.” I drew my card, knowing exactly what move to make. Then again, I’d have to wait until they were done chatting.

            “Rain, how could you?” Yusei shouted. Kalin only laughed.

            “Come on, Yusei, why not let your old friends have some fun? You can have your turn once Rain is dead!”

            Yusei’s face popped up on my screen. “Rain, this was my battle to fight!”

            “No. This is between partners.”

            Kalin snarled, “We are _not_ partners.”

            His viciousness cut into me again. That couldn’t… be the truth! “I’ll start off by activating my trap card, Call of the Haunted, which allows me to bring Slifer back from the grave!”

            The red dragon spun its way back through the clouds, crashing down lightning. I could hear Yusei and Crow’s voices through my helmet. “What _is_ that thing?”

            “I don’t know,” Yusei responded, “but it seems insanely strong.”

            “Slifer, get rid of that dragon once and for all!” The beam of yellow lightning shot from both its mouths, plowing through the dragon and into Kalin. His life points dropped to 2000.

            I caught a small groan of pain, but he just recovered with another laugh, stating, “You deal rough damage, Rain… All of those duels in the Satellite did you well. You must really be enjoying this.”

            “No, I’m not!” My sheer desperation leaked through my voice, and I cursed myself for it. “I don’t want to hurt you!”

            “That’s too bad.” He grinned. “Because I’m having the time of my life! Look, my dragon feels the same way!”

            The eyes still glowed above me. “Wh-what the hell? Why’s it still here?”

            “One Hundred-Eyed Dragon isn’t destroyed by battle or card effects as long as I have no cards in my hand.” He cackled. “Thanks to you attacking while I had Depth Amulet up, I was able to get plenty of monsters with great abilities into my grave!”

            Dammit. I should have held back. I scowled. “I summon Flamvell Guard in defense position, set one card face-down, and end my turn. Slifer is destroyed since I special summoned him.”

            “What’s wrong, Rain? You were so confident a second ago. That reminds me! I’ll bet the same happened once I left you alone.” Anger flashed red across my vision. I clenched my teeth and pinned him with a death stare. He just threw his head back and laughed. “You know, that mark never really suited you.”

            “Kalin, stop this,” Yusei called. “This is between you and me!”

            He giggled, continuing, “If only that were true! Have you not told him, Rain? Did you not explain the pain he caused us?”

            Crow spoke out before I could retort. “We hoped to visit you guys, but when we went, they told us they’d had taken you to the City… Then Rain came back and said you had died.”

            “Tch! I found a fate worse than death. What’s the point of living when every moment is pain and no more? Death was a sweet release for me! And oh, Rain,” Kalin started, tilting his head to watch me with one eye. “You never answered me. How _did_ that feel? Did it hurt? Ha! Of course it did! You’re _nothing_ without me.”

            The undeniable truth of his comment stole the air from my lungs. My hands trembled, and I tightened my fingers so I wouldn’t lose my cards like I had lost Threatening Roar. Like I had lost that duel. Like I had lost everything because of him.

            I’ll only ever be… his shadow.

            “Make this easy. Give _up_ , Rain.” Underlying traces of the tenderness I knew in my partner were audible in his demand.

            If I went on, did I even have a chance? The last time I dueled alone, I lost. To give up would mean the pain would end. Not just physically, but I would have my peace back. His last words to me at the hideout were that he just wanted me to be safe. Shouldn’t I give him what he wants? Then he would treat me like a partner again. I would be whole, and home, and belong, and everything I was missing he had.

            I stared at my deck. Folding was a simple process of placing a hand over one’s deck in a symbol of submission. Kalin said, “Go on. You know what to do.”

            Crimson sparked in my emptiness, and a spacial rip tore open alongside where I rode. Through it, I saw Jack riding his white duel runner. His head was lowered. After a moment, his gaze rose to meet mine. The pain scrawled over his features was a reflection of my own. I said, “It’s harder than I thought.”

            “…Yeah.”

            “But our partners need us.”

            Jack’s violet eyes sharpened. “We can be partners, too. We can be united in this. I thought I was alone, and I had screwed up everything I really cared about for something I thought I wanted. The one person who saw past what I did wants me dead. Here’s what I think we have to say. I can still be who the real Carly saw, and you can still be who you were with the real Kalin by your side.”

            “You’re absolutely him,” I said. “You’ve supported me and stood up for me! She was right. You’re a sweet guy.”

            His eyes widened. “S-she said that?”

            “Yep! She totally gushed over you!”

            Jack’s quivering smile was shared with me. He said, “I can remember how crazy he was about you. Every time you won a duel, I would have to hear about it. He was so _proud_ , you’d have thought you were the bloody Queen of the Satellite, Rain. Oh, God, that only got ten times worse once you gave him- You know what? If you haven’t, you need to really look through his deck, the one in your back pocket.”

            I fished it out, removed the headband, and sifted through each card. A familiar Normal monster stood out from the rest. Why’d Kalin’s old deck have a Blue-Eyes White Dragon?

Wait, I remembered this. When I found extras in my turbo deck, I gave one to him. He went on about how crazy rare they are and I should keep it for myself. Why would he put it in his deck? It didn’t add anything to his archetype.

            My grip on the deck tightened. Th-that didn’t matter to my partner, did it? He only cared that I gave it to him, and he was proud of it. Like he was proud of me… When I lost that duel, I thought he would be ashamed of me. Blister was right. My Kalin would be proud of me dueling..!

            I looked up, but Jack was gone. Kalin laughed. “Talking to yourself now? Guess I’m not the only crazy one! C’mon, Rain, stop wasting time and _give up_.”

            “Don’t listen to him, Rain!” Luna leaned as far as possible over the car’s windshield. Her forearm’s glow made me wonder if she had sensed my hopelessness. “Remember what you said to me earlier? The same’s true for you! You can do this on your own!”

            “And you can kick this crazy dude’s butt like you did Devack’s!” Leo added.

            …Silly me. I wasn’t dueling alone. I could feel every crimson thread sown between us with belief.

            Kalin snickered. “Look at that fan club. Sounds like my Rain has become famous!”

            “ _What_ did you call me?”

            For the briefest of moments, his mask cracked, and utter shock lay underneath. The insane smile returned in an instant. “I called you a death-marked traitor!”

            …Holy shit… This really was an act he’s pulling! I observed the old deck in my hand before returning it to its resting place. I was sure he still felt the same. “My leader taught me far better than to accept defeat. I’ll be a duelist he could be proud of!”

            “A dead one, you mean.” I grit my teeth, and he giggled. “I came so close to breaking you. You’re a goddamn _weakling_ , and you betrayed me. Why would I ever be proud of you?”

            The anchor in my back pocket beckoned. I slammed a fist against my runner’s frame and shouted, “What the hell gives you the right to call me a traitor after everything I’ve been through because of you?”

            “Oooh, the claws come out,” he responded, still grinning. “I said you’re not my partner, Rain, because partners are together in everything.”

            “Then you’re just as much a ‘traitor’ as I am!”

            “No.” His expression evened. “Because one of us is right, and one of us is wrong. And _you_ are so dreadfully wrong. Can’t you imagine it, Rain, how much better your life would have gone if Yusei hadn’t sold you out?”

            “He never did, not to either of us!”

            “Let me ask you a question, Rain. After everything I said to you that night, why did you come back?”

            “I told you, I couldn’t leave my partner behind!”

            “Oh, so he didn’t have anything to do with it?”

            “He…” I observed the dirt stirred in the wake of my runner’s speed. “The night I was arrested, Yusei found me and brought me to where you were.”

            “I knew it. I knew it!” His mad fit of laughter broke off into a menacing glare at where Yusei was parked on the ridge. “You are so fucking dead.”

            The sheer venom in the threat raced chills down my spine. Yusei flinched, and I could feel fear and guilt leaking from his crimson sign. This part was definitely not an act.

            “What are you talking about?” Crow asked. “All Yusei did was try to give himself up in your place!”

            “Oh, he didn’t even tell you the truth? Tch. Of course he didn’t. Look at him. He knows exactly what he deserves.”

            Yusei’s head was dipped. The shaking in his voice was obvious when he said, “That’s why I said this is between us. You shouldn’t have come here, Rain.”

            “Tell me the truth,” I begged.

            “The truth is that you are going to lose this duel,” Kalin said, “and then Yusei will pay with his life for what he did.”

            I growled, “Not. Happening.”

            “I’ll be happy to show you,” he said, a promise in his wicked grin. “I don’t draw this turn thanks to Power Baton, leaving my hand at zero. That lets me activate the effect of Infernity Necromancer through Hundred-Eyed Dragon. He can special summon any monster in my grave, so Hundred-Eyed brings Infernity Archfiend back. When he’s special summoned, I can add an ‘Infernity’ to my hand from my deck. I’ll bring another Necromancer and summon it in defense position. Then Necromancer brings Infernity Destroyer back to the field!”

            He didn’t even draw, but he was able to bring three monsters to his field? That combo was insane! He taunted, “Despair is a good look for you, Rain. Infernity Destroyer attacks Flamvell Guard! Once your monster is destroyed, you take 1600 points of damage!”

            My flame-shielded dragon shattered beneath the fiend’s claws. A ghost of Destroyer phased forward and slashed my left shoulder. I shouted and cradled the wound. Hot blood ran over my fingers. My life had fallen from 5300 to 3700.

            “I hope you’re saying your prayers over there, because I’m not finished yet! Infernity Archfiend attacks directly!” The monster’s four red eyes rolled in their sockets then focused on me. A purple ball of crackling energy formed between its claws. Archfiend launched the sphere, which collided with my chest. For a moment, I felt nothing and was relieved. Then agonizing shocks like the torture I had endured electrified my spine. My screams continued well after the pain ended due to the haunting memories, and all at the fault of my partner. My life counter dropped to 1900.

            “Well! This is some poetic justice, isn’t it, Rain?” Glee painted his features. “All that damage you dished out in the Satellite is finally coming back around!”

            I clenched my teeth in an attempt to compose my shivering muscles and swung my right arm outward. The holographic card beside me flipped and hovered just above the black dust my runner tossed up. “Trap activate: Des Counterblow! Any monsters that directly attack are destroyed afterwards, so Infernity Archfiend falls!”

            Crow’s face appeared on my screen. “You have to end this, Rain! If you don’t, you’ll end up like Yusei or worse!”

            “It wasn’t supposed to be you,” Yusei said beside him. “Get out of there! It’s your only chance!”

            Kalin laughed. “Lot of faith your ‘friends’ have in you! I know you so much better. See, I know perfectly well you’re going to pull a combo next turn. _I know you_. That’s why I’ll change Hundred-Eyed to defense position and end my turn.”

            A memory stole my breath: _“Believing in you always pays off.”_

            An aftereffect of the lightning twitched my eye with my draw. “I activate my speed spell, Half Seize! Your Infernity Destroyer’s attack is halved, and I gain life points equal to the reduction.”

            The fiend growled as its attack was drained, leaving it with 1150. My life boosted to 3050. “Next, I use the Ancient Rules speed spell to special summon the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!”

            My familiar dragon was a streak of white against the bleak of black. Kalin said, “And theeere it is. Funny how you used it to save me and now you’re using it to try to kill me.”

            “Irony’s a bitch,” I spat. “Show him, Blue-Eyes! Attack Infernity Destroyer!”

            White Lightning shattered the clawed fiend. The sheer force of the blast made Kalin scream in agony, and my heart dropped. His life fell to 150. “A-are you okay?”

            He glared at me. “I hope you never showed our enemies in the Satellite this much weakness.”

            “You are not my enemy, Kalin.”

            “Oh? Then what am I to you?”

            “My partner.”

            “How many times do I have to spell this out for you?” he snarled. “I would _never_ be a partner to a traitor like you! You’re less than nothing to me. I want you dead, Rain. _I hate you_!”

            His animalistic ferocity threatened to shatter me, but I held on tight. He… didn’t mean that! He said, “I’ll prove it right now! I release One Hundred-Eyed Dragon and Infernity Necromancer to summon Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu!”

            _The Giant has finally revealed itself,_ the Crimson Dragon said. His anger boiled as the Earthbound Immortal rose from the ground. It was black with blue veins and substantially bigger than the others. _Rain, you’ll have to withstand the hit!_

            “Earthbound Immortal, direct attack!” My heart thumped as its arm descended towards me. The massive hand blotted out the violet light of the dark sign in the clouds. I shut my eyes, praying it wouldn’t end me.

            What hope did I have if I survived? The Dragon wasn’t even in my hand!

            Darkness overcame me as the beast’s fingers slipped through me. Gravity disappeared. I made a desperate attempt to grab my runner, but I flew off, suddenly back in reality where gravity returned. I slammed against the ground once, twice, spinning out of control. I finally rolled to a stop on my stomach, my entire body lit aflame with pain. I thought I heard my runner spin to a stop way ahead of me alongside Kalin’s. Mine was skidding on its frame.

            My sight was shut off. I could hear Kalin’s maniacal laughter coming from everywhere and couldn’t block it out. I could only lie there in agony, several ribs broken, skin bruised and pierced all over.

            The nihility surrounded me, the same I had battled day after day in the wake of my partner’s supposed death. The encroaching blackness stole feeling from my hands and feet. It moved further, consuming my arms and legs. My heartbeat, the last sound I could hear, pounded slower and slower.

            My mind was fading, and each thought was muffled like if I tried to speak with my mouth stuffed with cotton. With the last of my strength, I wondered if this is what he felt before he died.

            No. Because he smiled at me in his final moment. He smiled like I wouldn’t be able to for uncountable hours captured by his absence. He smiled like everything would be okay. And I supposed it would for him, but for me?

            I had always been here. This emptiness was my life since he abandoned me. When I fall here, what would that leave my partner?

            _“Rain… you’re definitely not alone. In fact, I… I don’t know what I’d do without you.”_

            He said that on the same day he’d first told me he loved me. The surprise and joy were such distant feelings now. My heartbeat was almost silent. The agony was a far-off memory. I could slip into the silence and leave it all behind.

            _“I don’t know what I’d do without you.”_

            Death would wipe away my existence, but not to him. He loved me. He would carry the same burden, the same memories, and the same pain I suffered through. He would be alone, he would know suffocating loneliness, and he would not know how or why to escape.

All this I knew because I was still here in the nihility he left me with.

But I would not do that to him.

            My heart strengthened.

            Because despite everything, everything he’d done, I loved him. He would not suffer, he would not be alone, and he would find the light again. I wouldn’t, I couldn’t, leave him.

            My hand was there. I curled its fingers into a fist.

            There were too many incurable wounds in our world. I refused to create another, much less on who I loved the most.

            And refuse I did.

            The emptiness caught fire with my determination. Azure flames roared like a dragon and swept away the blackness. The light hurt my returning vision, but I adjusted to a blurry scene. I clenched and unclenched my fists in an attempt to move. Voices reached my ears, namely Kalin and Yusei’s, but I was too disoriented to listen.

            I pushed one arm underneath me, stirring dust. Each muscle burned with the effort. My shaking arm threatened to drop me back into the dirt, so I shifted my knee to support me next. Deep breaths re-steadied me. My hearing was restoring beyond the steady, strong beat of my heart. Luna was screaming my name. Crow said, “She… she got back up! She’s alive!”

            I tested the strength of one foot and stood on them both unswaying. I rubbed my hand across my mouth, slinging off blood and watching it splatter to the ground. I raised my head to see where my runner had landed. Then my focus drifted up to Kalin’s appalled face. I only flashed him my biggest grin yet.

            “Don’t tell me you thought I’d give up on my partner so easily.” I stumbled to my runner. It took so much focus to put one foot in front of the other.

            “Goddamn you! You should have stayed down!” Frustration harshened Kalin’s words. “You can’t escape your fate!”

            “Rain, just stop now!” Yusei called. “Please! You’re in so much pain, and if you take one more hit..!”

            I picked up my runner, brushing off some of the dirt. The frame’s scratches were horrible. I imagined I looked much the same. Straddling it, I noticed my life counter in my runner’s now-cracked screen: a mere 50 points remaining. But I was breathing, moving, riding, and surviving. I was hanging, here, by my one black thread. I said, “If that’s what it takes, then I’ll put every last beat of my heart into this duel. My partner deserves no less.”

            Kalin seethed. “I already told you, I’m not-”

            “Quiet.” The word held all the command of the Knight I’d been earlier. It made him flinch. “You say you know me. I know you, too. I see right through you, and I understand you’re trying to protect me. _Cut the act_.”

            “It’s not,” he snarled. “I want-”

            “I know enough about what you want, honestly. You know, I think what I’ve wanted is to be enough for you. It always has to be greater things with you, though. Like in the Satellite. You gave up everything we had for your own hatred of Security.

            “Well, I made sure to learn my lesson. In the Facility, I didn’t care what we went through, Kalin. I didn’t blame anyone. All that mattered to me was that we were together. But even if I hoped with all I had for the same to be true for you, I’m realistic enough to know it never would be.

            “That’s why I did everything in my power to steal your old deck back for you. I wanted some way to give you hope, because I knew I couldn’t on my own. I’m not enough. I never had the chance to return it to you, though.”

            I pulled it out of my pocket and focused on it instead of him. I slipped off the headband, tied it under my bangs, and returned the deck to its resting place. “I don’t regret anything I’ve done for you. No matter how hard you fall, I’ll always be right there with you. I’m never giving up on my partner. You’re worth that. And, you know? I’m not here to kill you. I’m here to _save_ you.

            “I love you, and I’ll fight on your behalf for as long as I draw breath! Even if… if…” A tear traced down my criminal mark. “You’re never satisfied with just me.”

            “Rain…” The venom was absent from his voice. When I glanced at him, he looked… _crushed_. He closed his eyes and removed his helmet. The wind tore at his ice-blue hair. “That couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m so sorry I made you feel that way.”

            I tensed. “Wh-what?”

            “I said I’m sorry.” His voice was soft and low, and his black eyes bore into me. “There’s a secret I’ve been keeping from you, Rain. On our first day as partners, when you showed Sector Security that you have psychic powers, you painted a target on your back. See, Satellites with powers like that are hunted down because they think you’re too dangerous. They wouldn’t outright kill you, but if they caught you, they’d make sure you never saw the light of day again.

            “Of course I could never feel free, because I knew that for you, it was only a matter of time. They were on your scent like bloodhounds. I had to be careful where I sent you and where I made my distractions to throw them off. If they were to catch you… I wouldn’t be able to protect you. I was so afraid every single day that you would just be gone, and I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to have that fear, too.”

            He had lowered his head, and his hands were shaking. Th-that meant his paranoia, his working so hard… It was all for me?

            “I could feel myself losing it, but I had to keep going on… for my partner. When the Satellite Securities got duel runners, I lost it for real. Since they had those things, we had no chance. Then, you… Rain, you held your hand out to me and said _you_ were saving _me_.” He shut his eyes, and his eyelids quivered. “I don’t know how you do it, but in that moment, you made me feel like everything would turn out alright. Until you- you went and got yourself caught for me! Just like you said: irony’s a bitch.

            “In the Facility, I didn’t want to leave you behind. They only cared about having you in there, but since I attacked them, they wanted their revenge on me. Didn’t take them long to figure out you were the best way to do that. Of course I didn’t want to leave you, and I didn’t want to hurt you today. I thought you were better off without me, but I never imagined you’d feel like I didn’t care about you. You’re the most important person in the world to me. I love you so much, Rain.”

            Tears streamed down my face and sparkled in my slipstream. My throat burned when I said, “How could you keep that from me? That burden is one we should’ve shared! I could’ve helped, we could’ve figured something out-”

            “Rain.” His mouth was set in a harsh line. “It was my duty as your leader.”

            “We’re supposed to be partners!”

            “Not partners in suffering. I would never want that for you. I’d rather have it all to myself.”

            I heard Leo ask, “What’s happening? I could swear they wanted to kill each other a second ago. Why are you crying, Luna?”

            “Sh-shut _up_ , Leo!”

            “This… is the real Kalin,” Yusei said.

            The ferocity conquered Kalin’s expression once more. “You have no right to say that, Yusei! None of this changes the fact that you betrayed us!”

            “Kalin, no.” I wiped at my face. “You have to believe me! He didn’t-”

            “Listen closely. One other person knew the truth about what I was going through. Since Yusei stayed on the team, I thought I could trust him. Biggest mistake I’ve ever made. I asked him to help me protect you, and he walked then and there.”

            “Yusei… knew the truth?”

            I recalled the words Yusei spoke to me at Martha’s after his duel with Kalin: _“You don’t know the whole story.”_

            “So, Rain, think again about what you told me earlier.”

            The bloody fingers of my right hand trembled. I clenched them in a fist. “He brought me back… after you told me again and again to stay away.”

            “That’s not all.” Kalin’s fury dripped through his words. “After everything I’d done, after everything I’d told him, what did he do? He turned my nightmares into reality. He had _you_ surrounded by Sector Security.”

            “Yusei… asked me specifically to go with him when he gave himself up.” Ice sprouted in my veins. “You… You were giving _me_ up?”

            “No! That’s not what I was trying to do at all!”

            “Tch.” Kalin ground his teeth. “If you would have _listened to me_ , you would have taken her as far away as possible.”

            “If I would have listened to you, you’d be rotting in the Satellite Facility, and Rain would be torn apart! Listen, Rain. Kalin’s plan was to make himself enemy number one to Security so they would shift their focus away from you. I tried to tell him that was a death wish, and you could protect yourself. I really believe that, Rain, especially after you saved my life. I told Kalin there was a place far to the south of the Satellite you both could have run to. He didn’t have to sacrifice himself! He wouldn’t listen, though, even when I said that him going away would make everything worse!”

            “He abandoned us when we needed him the most,” Kalin said. “He lured you into a trap!”

            “Wrong again. When I realized I wouldn’t be able to stop you, I wanted to give you one last hope, Kalin. I made sure Rain was there because I wanted to show you your deranged plan _worked_. At least, it worked until Rain rescued you! The force leader told me…” Yusei’s voice wavered. “He said he had forgotten about Rain after what you pulled, Kalin.”

            Kalin shot Yusei a glare. “So you realized you should have trusted me all along! _You should have kept her away_!”

            “It’s true that Rain wouldn’t have gone to the Facility if it weren’t for me, and I’ve carried that burden. After what she just said, though, I realized I made the right choice after all.”

            “Y-you wouldn’t r-run away with me,” I said, my voice uncontrollably broken. “Y-you were going to l-leave me behind. You were planning on leaving me alone.”

            “You don’t get it! We’d have been running forever!” The desperation was in his voice now. “If Yusei would have helped with my tech, I could’ve made a huge blow to Sector Security. The same if you would have stayed with me, and I could take the blame for your powers! All the heat would be on me, and you’d have had true freedom!”

            I shouted, “How are you not getting this through your thick skull? _No freedom is worth losing you_!”

            His eyes widened, the hazel small between the black. “You… really mean that..?”

            “The hell kind of question is that? I _love_ you, god _damm_ it!” The threat of sobs burned my throat, and tears gathered at the corners of my eyes. “I would do anything to have you by my side! That’s why it… it hurt so much when you chose to leave me alone for this!”

            “Chose to…” Kalin blinked. “Rain, I didn’t choose to die. I would _never_. I can’t believe I… made you feel that way.”

            “What? But that doesn’t- how did you die? I mean, they didn’t beat you as badly, so I don’t-”

            “Look, I never wanted you to know how I died. I never wanted you to know a lot of things, but that was a mistake.” Kalin wouldn’t meet my eyes. He stared at the helmet in his hands. “You have to understand how much those guards hated us. They pulled so much shit to try to turn us against each other. They wanted to see the two Satellites tear each other apart. I wasn’t about to let that happen, not to my partner. After all, because of me, you… suffered so much, and it was the opposite of what I wanted.

            “So. When they started giving us only barely enough rations for one person, I gave them all to you.”

            No. No no no no no! NO! He didn’t- please don’t let it be the truth-

            What was it he had said back then? When we were roommates, he told me: _“I made a promise to protect you, and I intend to keep it – whatever it takes.”_

            As the days passed and he had fallen weaker, I thought he was giving up. It was… the opposite. He was losing strength until he… ran out. Then when he died, he was able to _smile_ at me.

            He never threw me away; he threw _himself_ away. Because he did, I had the strength to escape. If he hadn’t…

            We both would have died.

            “That’s… so messed up of those guards,” Crow said.

            “I can’t believe a hatred of Satellites would go so far,” Trudge said. Luna was crying in the seat next to him. He glanced at her, and his expression sobered further. “The two of you were infamous in the Satellite, but that’s too damn cruel.”

            A cold chill overtook my senses. My teardrops glittered like ice. I had the urge to wrap my arms around myself but was forced to keep them on the handlebars, my knuckles white by my intense grip.

            “Rain, please… please don’t cry.”

            My partner was solemn. I swallowed hard but could not stop weeping. “Why- Why..?”

            “Because it used to be that I accepted the fate of a Satellite, or a psychic, or whatever else. We were born to be treated like trash and hunted like animals. Then I met you. Rain. Sector Security only started hunting you because you used your powers to _save me_. You defied that fate I had settled for so easily. You made me believe things could be different, and God, once you gave me that… it became all I wanted. I just- I look at you and think you deserve so much more. That’s why I was willing to give myself up or die or worse: because if anyone could change the world, it’s _you_.”

            The sheer affection sown among his words warmed my freezing soul. “B-but how could you think I could do it alone? Without you, I-”

            “I get it, okay? I get it now, but goddammit! I just wanted what I thought was best for you, Rain. How could I ever possibly believe that would be me? I mean… look at me. I messed up big time. All I’ve managed to do is nearly kill my two best friends. Hell… I thought- I thought saving you would be the one thing I did _right_. Tch. Should’ve known better.” His voice lowered. “I can’t do anything right. I’m a failure of a partner and a failure of a leader.”

            “You’ve never failed me!” I shouted, my voice hoarse. “You’ve… saved me time and time again. I’m brave enough to stand against fate because you gave me that courage. You’re worth so much more than to be throwing your life away.”

            He raised his eyes to mine, and there was a brilliant spark within his hazel irises at my words. “I’m… worth..?”

            “Everything,” I finished for him. “And damn you for thinking otherwise! Damn you for believing there’s anything more important to me than you!”

            Crow joined in: “C’mon, dude! You’re the best leader we could’ve had. All that shit you did makes sense now, but it doesn’t take away that you changed our lives and all of the Satellite for the better!”

            “Ah, I get what you were trying to do with this duel now,” Yusei said. “You wanted Rain to become a Dark Signer so she could live if the Dark Signers won. It really was all for her.”

            “Wh-why are you acting like everything’s alright,” Luna said, still bawling. “They’re still in a Shadow Duel! That means one of them has to die!”

            Die? That’s right… I’d lose my partner, and what’s left was the nothing cold empty silence-

            “Yeah, and that’s okay!” Kalin pulled his helmet on and snapped his fingers. “Hey, peanut gallery! You better watch closely, because Rain is going to win in this turn!”

            I choked on a sob. “Kalin!”

            “It’s alright, princess. When I died, I knew you were strong enough to make it on your own. And look at how far you’ve come. You’re still amazing. Whether I’m there or not… that won’t change, Rain. Go on. Show your partner how you’re the best duelist this world has ever seen!”

            I was crying and I couldn’t stop. His belief reached me despite it all… like it always did. I drew my card. Red light swarmed around me. “I activate the effect of the Crimson Dragon, bringing him to the field!”

            His crimson luminescence was stark against the Giant’s blue veins. When I saw it, hope blazed through me. Keep it together! It’s still my job to save him. I could save him.

            When I glanced at him, he didn’t look the least bit surprised. I blinked. “Y-you knew?”

            He laughed and shook his head. “Rain, you are also the worst liar this world has ever seen.”

            “Then… why would you duel me?”

            “From all I’ve told you, you should know that I wouldn’t let anything keep me from trying to protect you. So. This is the end.”

            “Far from it!” I said with a smile. “Crimson Dragon, destroy Ccapac Apu with Crimson Star Flight!”

            The crimson spark exploded through me as the Dragon soared towards the Giant. The wicked god shattered in raining darkness, and the wake of its fall catapulted huge chunks of debris into Kalin’s path. I floored the accelerator and crashed into him.

            I was thrown off of my duel runner, and I lost my helmet. As I flew through the air, a hand caught mine. Kalin pulled me against him as we slammed into the ground. We tumbled down a rough hill, turning over and over until finally coming to a stop at the bottom. We spread apart from each other, damaged yet again, but our hands held tight.

            “Thanks for sticking around,” I muttered. “Let’s be sure to try this again sometime.”

            His true laugh eased my heart. “You can’t be serious!”

            I sat up, my ribs flaring. He did the same and leaned in close. His face was pained. “Rain. I… have to leave you again. That’s the fate of a Dark Signer if we lose.”

            “And that is a fate I have the power to change!”

            His eyes tilted downward. “I know… this is hard, and I don’t want to go. But- hey!”

            I’d grabbed his shirt and pressed our foreheads together, smiling. “You can call me an idiot all you want later, okay, dear?”

            I touched his heart. Dark sparks arced up my arm. Violet light flashed around us, and it stole my consciousness.

            “You stupid girl!” I was falling through an endless darkness. I landed lightly on my feet. Kalin’s Earthbound Immortal was towering above me. I heard footsteps and turned to see a figure strutting towards me. It was a woman wearing the Dark Signer outfit, also blue like Kalin’s. Her hood was drawn over her face, and her voice sounded like… mine. The Crimson Dragon emerged and floated above me. “I can’t believe it. You took his mark! You took _me_ … The Crimson Dragon’s vessel has a dark mark! This’ll be interesting!”

            She stuck out her hand, offering a card. I took it and was startled to see the Earthbound Immortal from earlier. “N-No! I don’t want this!”

            “Too bad. As a Dark Signer, it’s a part of your deck always.” Purple light cloaked the card, and it disappeared. I swung up my arm to see the same light shining in the deck on my duel disk. “It’ll always come back because you’re a Dark Signer, too. You’re just lucky that mark doesn’t appear on your arm all the time and your eyes don’t have to be black. Unless, of course, you want them to be.”

            “No, no. I’m good.”

            She frowned and shrugged her shoulders. “At least I don’t have to go back to the underworld yet. That King can be a real… never mind. Time to wake up, Rain. Don’t you dare fail!”

            I gasped for breath, my pain returning. “Ugh… Where…”

            “You’re awake,” Kalin said, breathless. He cradled me in his arms. His cloak was back on. “What did you do?”

            I looked into his eyes – white, no more darkness – then wrapped my arms around him and rested my head on his chest. “Have I ever told you how beautiful your eyes are?”

            “Rain…” He brushed my bangs back and gently kissed my forehead. My face heated. “I’m so sorry. I was… so blind not to see this all along. I should’ve listened to Yusei and stayed with you. I don’t understand why… why am I still here?”

            “Because you deserve a second chance.”

            His face fell, and he scanned my body. “No, I don’t. You- you almost died because of me. _I_ did that. And I said… I… God, Rain, I don’t deserve to be your partner. I don’t-”

            I held his face between my hands. “Hey. Stay with me. What matters… is that we’re together.”

            His eyes sparkled. He placed a hand over mine. “Okay. Yeah.”

            “Hey, so, um…” I dropped my arms. My wounded left shoulder and right forearm blazed with pain from the movement. “Did I do alright for my first turbo duel?”

            He blinked a couple of times then broke into a fit of laughter. “Hell yeah, partner! Did I do alright for my second?”

            “It probably would have been a good idea to invest in some driving lessons.”

            “Goddammit, Rain,” he said, laughing. I was struck by a sudden outpour of emotion, and tears wet my face. This reality was something I had given up on ever experiencing again. My emptiness was burned away, my partner was back, and he had been fighting for me the whole time. Kalin brushed his thumb over the upper crescent of my criminal mark, wiping away a tear. “Everything’s okay now, princess. You don’t have to cry.”

            My chin quivered. “I’m j-just so happy to have you back where you belong.”

            “Feels right,” he whispered, and he ran a hand through my hair. “That headband looks way better on you. Now I’ll never be able to wear it again without feeling like I’ve robbed the world of something great.”

            I laughed. My tears stopped. “No way! Nice to know you listened to me on some things. You’re wearing your cloak right.”

            “Cloak? Oh. This thing. Speaking of which, Rain, _you_ …” His fingers lingered on the silver clasp at his chest as he leaned back and draped his other arm over his knee. Those hazel eyes looked over me slowly, drinking in every inch. I was paralyzed. My stomach coiled. Finally, he said, “You’re different. I like it.”

            His growing smile matched the creeping blush on my cheeks. He added, “Oh, but some things never change.”

            “C-cut it out! Different how?”

            He tapped his temple. “The confidence. It suits you. No more keeping your head down.”

            “Confidence,” I repeated. I observed my makeshift crimson sign, one of blood and flesh from where Regulus had bitten me. So far today, I had slain an army, wrestled a lion, killed a king, defeated a Dark Signer, overcome death, and found many different kinds of victories against my old leader. My gaze flicked up to him. He was grimacing at the deep wound. “I think you might be on to something there, partner.”

            “What happened? That looks like a… bite mark. It’s still bleeding. Here, I can help you out.” He grasped the hem of his own shirt in his hands and ripped off a lengthy strip. Kalin tied the poor man’s bandage around my arm. My focus lingered on the tear left in his red shirt, which revealed more of his muscular midriff. He said, “I see you haven’t shaken that staring habit of yours, either.”

            “S-sorry.”

            “Don’t be.” Kalin winked at me. “It’s an honor, princess.”

            Heat rose to my face so I searched for something, anything else to focus on. I observed the new, red tie on my forearm. “Th-Thanks for the help. The battle with Devack got a little crazy on both ends.”

            “Oh, yeah…” Kalin rubbed the back of his neck. “That little Signer girl kept asking me about you while you were out. Er, the one that was crying a lot. Then her brother dragged her away while talking about how dangerous and scary I was and how they had to go see Akiza duel.”

            “Dammit, Leo,” I grumbled. “They’re my friends. He just… thinks you’re a little crazy.”

            “A little?” He raised an eyebrow. “I’m a maniac.”

            I stared him dead in the eyes. “ _My_ maniac.”

            “You say it like you’re proud.”

            “Uh, duh.”

            He thinned his eyes. “Somehow, you manage to be the crazier one here.”

            “Nope! I just never lost sight of the dawn, partner.” He started to say something but my grunt interrupted him. The Crimson Dragon’s senses struck me, and a particular soul swirled in my mind’s eye.

            “Aki!” The Lizard glyph was shining in the distant sky. She must’ve been in the middle of her duel with that Dark Signer I saw at the Arcadia Movement.

            “Who?”

            “I’ve got to go!”

            “Where, to Misty?”

            “Yeah, the Signer needs my help.”

            “Let me give you a hand.” He supported me as I stood and helped me to my runner. He stood it back up for me and grimaced at the scratches. “Rain, I-”

            “It’s okay.” My heart warmed. “It’s alright. I’m just happy to have you back.”

            Kalin shut his eyes hard and kicked at the dirt. “How could I have been such an idiot?”

            “You… you can help me.”

            “No, I can’t. I’m worthless! All I did was hold you back!”

            “You can make up for it, Kalin.”

            When he met my gaze, his eyes shone. “I never could. Not in a million years. Dammit, what am I saying? That won’t keep me from trying. I’m your partner, Rain. What do we need to do?”

            My partner was really back! He’s-

_Rain, Akiza is in dire straits,_ said the Crimson Dragon. _She needs you._

_R-Right._ I cleared my throat. “Kalin, we need to reach Misty and Aki.”

            “You call her Aki? That’s so adorable!” He patted my head and I swatted at his hand. “My runner’s busted. I’ll drive us since Misty showed me where she was setting up.”

            I pulled my helmet out of the rubble and handed it to Kalin. He gave it a good look then fit it on my head. I shouted, “Hey!”

            “Yeah, hi there. You getting on or what?” He had started the runner. I smiled and got on behind him. I wrapped my arms around his stomach, and he said, “Don’t let go.”

            I lay my cheek against his shoulder. “Never.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has made it to this point, I just want to say thank you ♥ I have a pretty rough time posting because of massive anxiety, especially on a climactic chapter like this. Knowing someone's along with me, whether it's kudos, comments, subs, etc. makes it all the more bearable. Writing this chapter was p a i n f u l, and I would love to know your thoughts if any. Most of all, again, THANK YOU.
> 
> I'll be taking a break from posting this for a while. See you again. Love you guys! ( ･_･)♡


	19. Double Duel

            Kalin and I sped through empty streets on my duel runner. We passed through the gates of an abandoned amusement park and drifted past the run-down attractions. In the sky behind us, the glyph of the Hummingbird disappeared.

            “Jack,” I muttered. I hoped his duel ended the way mine did. I hoped Carly found the light.

            The Crimson Dragon’s growl was gentle in my mind. _Do not fear. Jack Atlas was victorious in his duel because the girl’s will managed to overcome the control of the dark god._

_Control? The Earthbound Immortals can control the Dark Signers?_

_Indeed. They choose fallen humans because that state allows the dark god the option to control the husks. It is a tactic only resorted to if the Dark Signer attempts to give up._

_Does that mean Kalin-_

            The Dragon grunted. _No. When a dark god takes full control, you will know it. He did not fold. He merely believed in your ability to win._

_My partner…_ I wrapped my arms tighter around him. Kalin glanced back at me then at the sky.

            “Huh. The new girl’s duel is over. If you’re worried about Jack… don’t be. There’s no way that chick Carly could keep it up.”

            “How do you know-”

            Kalin floored the brakes. We stopped before the flames of Misty’s dark sign, the Lizard. He said, “End of the line. We’ll have to find another way around.”

            _It seems Yusei is in mortal danger,_ said the Crimson Dragon. _Allow me to offer my aid, Rain. Though it will cost power, I will share my senses with you. This should let you locate the Signers more easily._

            The crimson spark alarmed me, fangs cut through, and I could _feel_ the location of the people around me. I said, “Swing a left.”

            “Whatever you say.” We wound through alleyways as I directed him towards a run-down funhouse. Kalin stopped out front, and I bounded to it. I chucked off my helmet and flattened against the side of the building. Kalin crept up beside me. He said, “Am I seeing things, or are your eyes, like, red?”

            I held my hand in front of my mouth in an attempt to hide the other of the Dragon’s ‘gifts.’ “It’s, uh, Signer stuff. Speaking of which, Yusei is in trouble somewhere in this building. He needs your help.”

            “I don’t know if it’s such a good idea to have me do that.”

            “Please! I have to reach Aki. I can’t be in two places at once, and I _know_ you can take care of this!”

            He glared at me then shook his head. “Fine.”

            While he left, I had a terrifying feeling I couldn’t shake. The existence of a certain someone in the area baffled me. A certain someone I saw die. The dead kept having a bad habit of not knowing their place.

I ran to the center of the street and saw a crystal blue dome peeking over the flames of the glyph. Something tickled the back of my neck. I rubbed at it, but nothing was there; my focus returned to the dome, where I sensed Aki’s presence. I had to reach it, but the purple fire blocked my way. I asked the Crimson Dragon, _Can we get through those?_

            _I’m afraid it is not within my power to protect you from the fires of the dark signs. However, Rain, I do not believe fire can harm a young dragon._

            My dreams came to mind, where blue flames had licked my fingers yet I hadn’t felt the heat. Instinct deep within urged me to step closer to the bright and burning violet fire. Its roar tore through the earth itself, but I wasn’t afraid. I stepped into the flames. While I walked through, they swirled around me like in my nightmare. I emerged on the other side unscathed.

            _A young dragon, huh?_ I stared at my hands. They were bloodstained from my wounds but not burned. _I think you’re right!_

            I rushed to the distant dome. As I neared, I could see that Aki had lost control. Her psychic abilities ran rampant as Black Rose Dragon stormed the field with razor petals. Bad bad bad bad. I started towards her, but a familiar voice stopped me.

            “You? Why are _you_ here?” Sayer, leader of the fallen Arcadia Movement, stepped out of the darkness behind me. His hair and half of his face were scorched.

            “You _are_ alive.” I bared my fangs as he slowly approached me.

            “Haha, those Dark Signers are weak compared to Akiza! With her full power unleashed, not even the wicked gods are able to stand up to her!”

            “What did you do to her?”

            “I merely made her recognize her true potential.” He scowled. “I know that look. You’re going to try something! Too bad. I’m ending you once and for all, here and now.”

            “I’d like to see you try.” He activated his disk as I grabbed the hilt of my Orichalcos saber.

            “Psychic Sword!” A glowing beam sword materialized in his hands. He charged at me as I whispered the inscription of my blade. I drew my sword and met his. His sparked like electricity as it slid down my curved blade. The Orichalcos energy exploded against him, flinging him back on the ground. His sword skidded away. He growled, “Learned some new tricks? Doesn’t matter. My psychic abilities are impossible to overcome. Hinotama!”

            The same fireball from before was sent flying at me. I slung my sword like a baseball bat, knocking it back at him. He recoiled and fell to the dirt again.

            “Pathetic,” I spat. “Give up. You have no chance.”

            “That’s _it!_ Meteor of Destruction!” The meteor’s dark shadow loomed over us. Sayer tried to flee the blast zone, but I was fast enough to grab him. I dragged him into the shadow and held him there.

            “Let’s go down together,” I told him while I gripped his collar.

            “You don’t know what you’re doing! When that thing crashes-”

            “I know exactly what I’m doing.” I palmed my blade and sliced open his thigh. He hit the earth squealing. I walked away from him and the meteor. It crashed into the ground, and the unstoppable force left my black cape flapping. Sayer’s screams of agony made me grin. His limp body remained in the fresh crater. He was still alive. Good! I wasn’t finished with him yet.

_What are you doing, Rain?_ The Dragon’s voice sounded far away. _Darkness is sprouting in your heart!_

_I’m doing what needs to be done._

            I dragged him to the end of the street. On the way, familiar voices caught my attention. To my right were two buildings, one far taller than the other. The flames of the Dark Signer glyph blazed between them. Three figures stood on the higher roof. Crow’s voice said, “No way! It’s way too far! We can find another way around!”

            One leapt off the roof. The air tore at his dark cloak as he fell, and even I could see his smile from where I stood. Kalin’s feet barely reached the opposite roof. He was forced to drop into a roll, but he was laughing. Crow yelled, “What the hell is wrong with you? You’re nuts!”

            “Eh, once you’ve died once, you realize there’s not much to worry about,” Kalin retorted. He shoved to his feet, continuing, “C’mon, don’t tell me you’ve become cowards since I left! You want to save your girlfriend, don’t you, Yusei?”

            Silence followed. A couple of seconds later, Yusei jumped towards Kalin. He landed on the edge of the lower building, and Kalin grabbed his forearm to steady him. “Not so bad, is it?”

            “My legs are like goddamned jelly,” Yusei grumbled. He took a few shaky practice steps. “You really are crazy. In a good way. I think.”

            Kalin grinned, released Yusei, and gestured for Crow to go next. Crow’s reluctance was obvious. He bounded across despite it, but it wasn’t enough. He wouldn’t reach the opposite roof. Kalin flattened and stretched his arm over the gap, catching Crow’s hand in his. Crow slammed against the side of the lower building.

            “Holy shit,” Crow shouted. “I’m not gonna make it!”

            Through grit teeth, Kalin said, “Yes- you- are!”

            _Why are you watching? Aid them! You can use your monsters!_ The Crimson Dragon’s command sounded as though it reached me through thick glass. _What’s happened to you?_

            Yusei dropped beside Kalin and grabbed Crow’s forearm. Together, they managed to haul him up to the roof. The three sprawled out and sucked in deep breaths. “Goddammit, birdbrain! Aren’t you supposed to fly or some shit?”

            “Stop calling me that! I don’t do well with heights, okay?”

            “That makes no damn sense!” Kalin laughed, finishing, “I missed this.”

            “…Same.” Crow shouted, “If you go psycho on us again, though, I swear I’ll-!”

            “Ah, I already have someone to keep me in check… huh? Rain, is that you?” Kalin’s gaze had drifted over the empty cityscape and landed on me. He yelled, “How are you here? Wait a sec! That’s Sayer, the sick bastard!”

            Yusei leaned over the building’s edge. “That’s the guy who tried to kill me!.. How do you recognize him, Kalin?”

            “We’ve met,” Kalin said, thinning his eyes. “I believe the more important question is why Rain’s carrying him around!”

            I observed the crumpled man I dragged behind me. Due to his deep cut, a bloody trail was left in the dirt where I’d walked. I hauled him over my shoulder and turned my back on them. “The fate befitting a human is torturous suffering until death. I am more than happy to oblige.”

            “…The hell are you talking about?” Crow asked. “Hey, hold on!”

            I ignored him and headed towards the crystallized dome in the distance. They called for me. I didn’t look back.

            The street opened to a wide area that used to be a hall of mirrors. Aki had shattered it, and I had to take my steps carefully to avoid the shards. Aki and Misty were surrounded by a blue dome, which represented Misty’s field spell.

            “Akiza, you’ll pay for what you’ve done!” Misty’s voice rang out from the dome.

            Since I could hear them, I deduced the glass dome didn’t stop sound travel. I tossed Sayer in front of the dome. The impact returned his consciousness. When I drew my bloodied saber, he tried to crawl away from me. I stalked after him. Misty’s Earthbound Immortal loomed above me. I had to keep in mind what Aki told me. The Dark Signer believed Aki killed her brother, but it was this snake.

            “Sayer, I know you really killed Misty Tredwell’s brother and pinned it on Aki. Why?” I felt the Dark Signer’s stare land on me. Sayer only laughed.

            “Why would I tell you, _puppet_? Your weaponry can’t overcome my power!” He palmed a card from his pocket: Brain Control. As he reached for his disk, I threw my sword end-over-end. The blade sliced clean through his index finger and thumb, causing the card to flutter to the ground; his awestruck, horrified expression curled up my smile.

            I swiftly retrieved my sword. He held his bleeding hand by the wrist, and his face was ghostly pale. “I would advise you to answer. Oh, but I am merciful. You can _choose_ which finger you lose next for every passing minute the query remains unanswered.”

            His face twisted into rage. “That boy? He was too weak! He didn’t even survive the simplest of tests. He just ended up as another lost soul, covered up thanks to our dirt on Godwin! Akiza’s destruction made a perfect scapegoat for all those lost lives. You were so much better, puppet, taking the agony of every experiment in stride!”

            “…You did _what_ to me?”

            “You… you _monster_!” Misty’s matching furious gaze burned through Sayer. Her emotions struck her Earthbound Immortal to the core; the wicked god grabbed the frightened Sayer and flung him into its sharp jaws. It swallowed while wearing an unsettling grin.

            A similar smile stretched across my face. I burst out laughing. That meatbag got what he deserved. The darkness in his heart worked against him, just like it always did with humans. We showed him for who he truly was.

_…Rain. What are you saying?_ The Crimson Dragon’s voice was crystal clear again. _Can’t you see this feeling in your heart is the same one that tore you and Kalin Kessler apart?_

_What are you talking about? I didn’t say anything!_

_Because this isn’t you. A dark force has invaded your heart!_

_Whatever it is can wait. Aki needs us._ The Signer had collapsed. I shattered a section of the crystallized dome with a bright green blast from my sword and dashed to Aki.

            “R-Rain?” She opened her eyes, but they looked dead. Her bangs had fallen out of the clip that usually kept them in place. She was on her knees. The claw mark of the Crimson Dragon glowed on her right forearm. “Rain, did you see? Sayer is… He’s gone. That evil god and Misty… Misty killed him!”

            “I understand, but you have to finish this duel and seal the control unit. It’s almost sunset! We’ll lose a lot more than Sayer if you can’t finish this in time!” The duel appeared to be near its conclusion, with Aki ahead via life points. Her Signer Dragon was on the field, opposite the Earthbound Immortal. Misty was starry-eyed.

            “Akiza, I’m sorry for everything I did to you. I see now… I was wrong. You’re a good person… a Signer. Finish me, Akiza. Do your duty!” Her eyes suddenly grew wide, and she gripped the sides of her head and dropped to her knees. “Hurry! I- can’t hold it back much longer!”

            “Aki, listen to her!” She rose, and rage conquered her features. “Aki?”

            “I’ll make sure this duel lasts a _long_ time,” she said. “I’m going to make you suffer, Misty! You stole away the most important person in my life, and _you will feel my pain!_ ”

            “No, no, please, don’t do this!” I grabbed her shoulders but she shoved me aside. “Remember the fate of the world, Aki! You’re a Signer. You’re above this! Don’t sink to her level!”

            She growled, “This level is where I belong.”

            “You are a Dark Signer,” a deep voice said. Purple aura swirled around Misty. “You must destroy the Signers. If you are no longer up to the task, then I’ll have to do it for you!”

            Misty screamed as the dark force enveloped her. Her eyes and the red marks lining her cheeks glowed violet. I thought, _What happened to her?_

_The dark god took full control of her like I mentioned earlier._

_You mean the Lizard?_

_…Yes, Rain. The Lizard._

            The new challenger actually excited Aki. “How about a refresh, Dark Signer? I want all the chances I can to hurt you!”

            “Very well,” said the dark god. They both reshuffled their fields and graves into their decks.

            “Hey, Rain!” The crystal dome faded when Misty returned her field spell. Luna, Leo, Trudge, and Mina had been gathered to watch beyond the enclosure. Luna continued, “Don’t let her! That weird dude showed up, and Akiza’s been acting insane ever since. You have to do something! The last time she was like this and dueled, she lost to Yusei!”

            Right, at the Fortune Cup. The stakes of a Shadow Duel were astronomically higher than a tournament, though. I ran forward and planted myself between Aki and the Dark Signer. I said, “Why duel Aki when you could have a chance to kill the Vessel of the Crimson Dragon herself?”

            The dark god thinned its black eyes. Their green irises glowed by dark flames. “ _You_ are the Vessel?”

            The Crimson Dragon emerged and coiled around me. Aki backed away, and the dark god grinned. I said, “I challenge you in Aki’s place!”

            “You fool, offering yourself up like a lamb to the slaughter! I’ll gladly tear you to pieces over her and steal the soul of the Crimson Dragon!”

            “That’s not happening!” Aki rushed forward as the Dragon returned to my body. She said, “The Dark Signer is _mine_. I won’t let you take my revenge from me, Rain!”

            “Did I hear you wanted to duel a Dark Signer?” Kalin grinned at Aki. He, Crow, and Yusei had joined the others watching. He stepped forward, saying, “I think I can give you what you want.”

            Aki glowered at him. Her rage was palpable. “You… You’re that maniac who nearly killed Yusei! _I’ll destroy you_!”

            “My new name really rolls off the tongue,” Kalin muttered. “Yeah, that’s right. Want to get me back for it?”

            He’s egging her on! Why? Aki held up her disk and screamed, “Hell yes!”

            “Don’t do this, Kalin,” Yusei said. “She’s not herself. She’ll really hurt you.”

            Kalin waved a hand back. “Doesn’t matter. I’m gonna buy enough time for Rain to beat Misty and for you to talk down your girl. Got it? I need to borrow someone’s disk.”

            “Here, take this.” Trudge removed his blue duel disk from his arm and offered it to Kalin. He stared at it in disgust.

            “Ugh, this is one of those Security models! Gross!.. Whatever. You can keep the deck. Security strategies are suckass.” Kalin side-eyed Trudge’s furious expression and laughed. He broke away from them, ran to me, and asked, “Mind if I borrow that old deck, partner?”

            I glanced at Aki, who still glared at him. “Kalin, if you-”

            “Remember, Rain: a self-respecting partner wouldn’t let you go it alone.” He winked and finished, “Back-to-back, just like old times.”

            A smile found me. I fished the deck out of my back pocket and held it out to him. He accepted it gratefully and placed it in his borrowed disk’s deck slot. I said, “With you at my back, this’ll be easy.”

            “I hope so. Misty’s deck is annoying as hell,” he grumbled.

            “So is Aki’s.”

            “I’m not afraid!” He turned to face his opponent, and I did the same to mine. We stood so our backs touched at the shoulder blades.

            I grinned. My duel disk activated, the bar swiveling out and the card zones slicing out of it like a sickle. I drew and shouted, “I’m not, either!”

* * *

 

**“DUEL START!”**

 

            “Your move, Lizard!”

            “You’re going to regret protecting your precious Signer, Dragon!” A wicked grin slashed across Misty’s face. “I activate the field spell, Mirror Labyrinth!”

            The dome formed from shards of glass separated Kalin, Aki, Misty, and I from the others. Mina said, “No, not again! Now there’s no way for them to escape if they need to!”

            “Escape?” I shouted. “You insult us! It’s them who’re trapped in here with us, not the other way around!”

            I felt my partner shake with laughter. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

            “Hey, Mina.” Trudge nudged her with his elbow. “That pair is the infamous Kalin Kessler and his shadow. I got to see them duel _each other_.”

            “I see, so he became a Dark Signer,” she muttered. “Guess the rumors were true, and Rain was being honest with Director Godwin. Kessler died in the Facility.”

            Trudge nodded. “Starved to death. Damned guards decided to hold back rations from a couple of kids.”

            “What? B-but that’s not what Sector Security’s goals and ideals represent-”

            “Doesn’t matter for Satellites. There’s no one to care if they die. I used to agree, but now I’m starting to think…” He glanced at Yusei. “That should change.”

            “Wait a second. Doesn’t that mean you just lent your duel disk to a convicted terrorist? And you’re _sympathizing_ with him and his accomplice?”

            “Uh, y-yeah, but you really should hear their side! Not that what they did was right! It just, uh, makes you wonder, you know? To be a Satellite like them…”

            “Hear that, partner? We made him realize the fate of Satellite scum like us!” Kalin giggled. “And so the Security’s heart grew three sizes that day!”

            “Hey! I haven’t forgotten what you said about my deck!”

            Crow rolled his eyes and mentioned, “To be fair, I’ve never seen a Security _win_.”

            While Trudge simmered, Mina said, “Okay, I believe you. What they say about those two is… a little scary. They can surely handle themselves.”

            “I, um, didn’t realize we were so… well-known,” I mumbled.

            “Aw, did you think I was the only one who was legendary?” He tossed his head back to wink at me. “We all were. So. Let’s give them a show of why!”

            “Hell yeah! You have no chance, Lizard!”

            “Your confidence is irritating,” Misty said. “I’ll see it extinguished. I summon Reptilianne Serpent in attack position. While it is face-up on my field, neither of us can summon monsters! I’ll also activate the continuous spell, Sad Story – Atrocious Day. If you draw a trap card, you have to reshuffle it into your deck. I end my turn!”

            “There goes, like, half my deck,” I muttered.

            My partner tilted his head to watch me with one hazel eye. “Am I hearing doubt from the legendary Rain?”

            “N-no! I draw!” Shit. I drew Waboku. “I drew a trap, so it goes back into my deck.” I observed my hand, which had Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Aegis of Gaia, Birthright, Dragon’s Mirror, and White Stone of Legend. As long as her monster’s on the field, there wasn’t much I could do. I’d play off of her. “I set one card face-down and end my turn.”

            Aki’s voice rung out from behind me. “I’m going to enjoy this, Dark Signer! Your duel with Yusei will be a brush of a feather compared to what I do to you!”

            Kalin tensed. “That’s… only fair. How about I go first, so you’ll have the first chance to attack?”

            I watched Aki over his shoulder. Her smile was dark. “You don’t know about psychic powers, do you? You’re just a piece of trash Satellite, after all! I’ll give you a hint. They can physically harm people through duels, and that goes doubly for the power of a Shadow Duel!”

            “I know about them,” Kalin murmured. “Or haven’t you met Rain?”

            “Y-you know she has them?”

            He threw his hands up. “Uh, duh. We’re partners.”

            “Why would you want to be a partner to someone with powers like mine?”

            Kalin laughed. “Because she used them to save my ass! The psychic shit is pretty cool if you ask me.”

            “Cool..?” Anger readjusted Aki’s features. “I’ll be sure to change your thinking in this duel! Your move!”

            …Guess she forgot what I told her. No. She’s almost a different person, like Yusei said. We had to figure out how to undo whatever Sayer did. Kalin swiped a card off of his deck. “I’ll start by activating the field spell, Pandemonium!”

            The sky tinged blood red beyond the dome, and yellow lightning pulsed among the clouds. Aki said, “Humph. You need that to sustain your Earthbound Immortal, don’t you?”

            “My…” Kalin’s eyes flicked to his right arm, where his dark sign used to glow. A corner of his mouth quirked up. “Hell yeah! Hope you’re scared, ‘cause your defeat at the Giant’s hands is inevitable! I summon Shadowknight Archfiend in attack position, set a face-down, and end my turn!”

            He was lying to make her angrier again, I figured as a winged skeleton knight flew to Kalin’s field. Its purple hair and tail were a stark contrast to its crimson blade and claws. He knew he wasn’t a Dark Signer anymore, but he didn’t know… that card was in my deck now.

            “Akiza, wait!” Yusei stood beyond the dome and pressed his gloved palms on its glass surface. “Kalin isn’t a Dark Signer anymore, and this isn’t who you are. I know you don’t want to use your powers!”

            “Ah-ah-ah.” Kalin wagged a finger in their direction. “He’s lying to you, Akiza. He’s such a saint that he doesn’t want you to hurt me after all I’ve done to him. See, I _am_ a Dark Signer, and I’m here because I want revenge for what you did. What, did you think I’d just let that go?”

            A shiver crawled up my spine. From the looks on Aki and Yusei’s faces, they couldn’t tell if he was lying or not, either. Aki said, “You mean… what I did to Rain, don’t you?”

            I said, “Wh-what are you talking about?”

            “Hey, Rain.” Kalin’s eyes sparked. “I’m trying to buy time for your duel, remember? Focus on Misty.”

            “B-but-”

            “You’re no saint to her, either!” Aki shouted. “Here’s some news for you, _Kalin_. Since you became a Dark Signer when you died, they thought you escaped the Facility. You know what that meant for Rain? She was tortured so they could find out where you went!”

            “…What?” He turned to face me. “They… did that to you?”

            “No way! That’s not the truth!”

            “…You’re lying. Oh God, you’re _lying_.” He stepped back and lowered his head, but I could see the emptiness in his eyes. “That means… because of me, you- Rain, you… were right. I was better off dead.”

            “Kalin, no! If that were the truth, I wouldn’t have saved you!”

            He peered at me. “Save..?”

            “You’re a monster, Kalin! All you do is cause pain. It’s about time someone dished it back!” Aki drew. “I activate Mark of the Rose! With this, I can take control of a monster on your side of the field! Say good-by to Shadowknight Archfiend!.. Wait, what?”

            Shadowknight blocked the mark, and a die rolled above its head. I grasped Kalin’s arms. “Maybe it’s the truth. I went through that, and… and it’s okay. You went through so much for my sake, too, Kalin. You even- you _died_! But I see it now. Part of being partners means we share in suffering, too. It’s okay because you’re worth it!”

            He avoided my eyes. “That can’t… be right. I’m not worth anything. I don’t deserve you.”

            The dice landed on four. Kalin turned away, and I was too stunned to speak. “Since the roll wasn’t five, your spell isn’t negated. My monster is yours.”

            “As it should be,” Aki spat. A glowing rose appeared on Shadowknight’s cheek. He walked to the opposite side of the field. “I’m going to wipe out your life points this turn, Dark Signer, and you’ll feel the pain you cause others! I summon Twilight Rose Knight in attack position and special summon Violet Witch through his effect! Hope you’re ready for your first taste of my power. Let’s start with your own monster! Shadowknight Archfiend, attack him directly!”

            The fiend unfurled its wings. Dust and broken glass stirred in the wake of its flight towards my partner. Purple firelight shone on the monster’s red blade as it descended upon Kalin’s shoulder.

            I drew my saber and crossed swords with Shadowknight. Sparks flew as his blade raked down my curved sword. Though I successfully deflected the attack, the monster wasn’t finished. It struck again, and I blocked. Archfiend used its claws next, so I was forced to hold them at my crossguard. I thought the three ancient words and energy exploded from my blade. The monster skidded back. Kalin’s life points fell to 3000, but he was physically unscathed.

            “What the hell?” Kalin gaped at me. “Is that… a sword? Holy shit, that was kickass!”

            My smile disturbed a bead of sweat to roll down my face. “This is _my_ sword. I’ll protect you, too, Kalin.”

            “Why would you?” His voice threatened to break. “You come back for me, save me, protect me… it doesn’t make any goddamned sense after everything I did to you!”

            “Because you’re my Kalin, and I know who you really are,” I said. My hands gripped the handle of my saber so tightly I could feel the wound on my forearm pulse. I stared at the makeshift bandage my partner had made for it. “They can call you a maniac or whatever the hell else. Doesn’t change a thing to me. You’re the one who taught me how to believe in myself, who put everything on the line for my sake, and you’re the _only one_ who deserves me. If you can’t even fight for yourself, then I guess I’ll have to do that, too… like you’ve always done for me! We’re partners to the end! Just like that last night in the Satellite, even if we fall, it’ll be together!”

            A spark fired through the emptiness in my partner’s eyes. His bright yellow criminal mark twitched with the ghost of a smile he attempted to hide.

            “You’re an idiot to protect him after what he’s done,” Aki shouted. “Let him suffer! Twilight Rose Knight, attack directly!”

            I braced myself to defend him again. The sheer confidence in his voice eased me: “I activate the effect of Tragoedia in my hand. Since I took battle damage, I can special summon him! His attack and defense equal 600 times however many cards I have in my hand, which is two. 1200 beats out all of your monsters. Your attacks are finished, Akiza!”

            A spiderlike fiend tore onto the field from a black hole of a portal. It stood as a wall between Aki’s three monsters and me. She growled, “How _dare_ you try to avoid the pain you deserve!”

            “Believe me. I know _exactly_ what I deserve,” Kalin said, “but there’s no way in hell I’d let my partner down. The only thing to suffer in this duel will be your life points.”

            Aki snarled, “You’re a Dark Signer, and this is a Shadow Duel! You’ll be hurting me, too!”

            “Oh, right,” Kalin muttered. “I was totally lying. I’m not a Dark Signer. Rain kicked my ass in a duel, so I lost my sign.”

            “W-what?” Aki stared pointedly at Kalin’s blank arm. “Th-then you should be dead!”

            “Yeah, well, I have a bit of a habit of coming back from the dead.”

            Aki scowled. “That can’t be the truth.”

            “It is! Please, Akiza!” Yusei banged a fist against the crystal dome. “Kalin’s on our side! He’s my friend, and this was all a mistake. I’ve forgiven him, just like I’ve forgiven you.”

            “Becoming a Dark Signer and nearly killing you is more than a simple mistake,” Aki yelled. “It’s evil, like I _know_ you are, Kalin! I tune Twilight Rose Knight with Shadowknight Archfiend to Synchro Summon Black Rose Dragon!”

            A storm of red rose petals cut through the field, signaling the rise of the Signer Dragon. The thorny rose of a dragon roared with rows of sharp teeth. I sheathed my saber and stumbled back. The razor-sharp petals tore at my skin.

            Kalin slung his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close. A paper-thin cut on his cheek dribbled a single bead of blood down his face. He was not bothered in the slightest. “I’ll have this wrapped up quick. You have a duel to win, princess.”

            “Bet I can win before you.”

            “Fat chance!”

            “Why the hell are you two so happy?” Aki shouted. “Your only monster is weak compared to my Dragon! I set a face-down and end my turn!”

            “Ah, she doesn’t know us,” I lamented.

            Kalin shrugged. “No one does.”

            “Have you forgotten about me, Crimson Dragon?” The dark god controlling Misty stared at me. I stood back-to-back with Kalin once more. He was standing straighter than before. “I’m fine to burn as much sunlight as possible.”

            Dammit, she’s right. Er, not she. It. It is right.

_You’re a master of wasting time,_ the Crimson Dragon growled.

            _My bad!_ “Okay, I d- wait. It’s your turn!”

            A wicked grin stretched Misty’s face. The glow in her eyes sent chills down my spine. “That it is. My draw. This isn’t a trap, so I can keep it. I’ll start by attacking you with Reptilianne Serpent! Since it’s less than five stars and my only monster, it can attack twice by my field spell’s effect. Show the Dragon your venom!”

            The snake leapt at me and lashed me with its tail twice. I grit my teeth and almost backed away, but my partner was there. I steadied myself. My life points fell to 3800. Misty said, “I’ll also activate my next Sad Story continuous spell: Unwavering Truth! Now, any spells we draw return to our decks!”

            Now it’s, like, my whole deck. I had a feeling the duel would come down to whatever hand we started with.

            “I set one card face-down and end my turn.”

            “Okay, my draw!” When my fingers touched the card, blue fire crawled up my arm and disappeared at my chest. The card seemed to glow when I held it. This card was…

            Something pulsed in my mind, and it was so painful. I didn’t react. That agony was a fact of my existence, after all.

            _Rain, don’t let it take over!_ The Crimson Dragon’s call was once again far away. _It’s here! The sp-_

            His voice was drowned out by an intense beating of drums and heat of an emotion unfamiliar to me. The card I had drawn ruined my life. Because of this card, when I died, the people cheered.

When I died? I never died! I shook my head. My right forearm pulsed. What was that voice? It sounded like mine, but there was so much… fury in it. “Okay, I end my turn.”

            “Is that all you can do? I was taught to fear the Crimson Dragon, but you’re pitiful. I draw. This is a monster, so I’ll keep it. Next I activate the final of my Sad Stories, Sorrowful Memories! When we draw monsters, they are reshuffled into the deck! We’re locked into whatever cards we have now! I activate my set trap, Sorrowful Chain. This summons a very special monster to my field: Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings!”

            A dark-green dragon with torn wings floated above the Dark Signer. It boasted 1900 attack and 2600 defense. The Reptilianne beside it shattered by its own effect. Misty commanded, “Attack the Crimson Dragon directly!”

            The monster rushed me. When its talons were about to touch me, I was pulled away. Quadruple claw marks raked across Kalin’s upper arm. His other arm was locked around my midsection. He let go as my life points dropped to 1900. Rose petals still swarmed around the dome. I started, “Why-”

            “Save it. I’m gonna protect you, too, partner.”

            …To share in suffering…

            “My turn isn’t over,” called the dark god. “When my dragon deals battle damage, you must discard. I also have a chance to draw, and since this isn’t my draw phase, the drawn card isn’t affected by my Sad Story spells! I’ll set this new card face-down and end my turn.”

            Discard? That was just the opening I needed!

            “You have _such_ a poker face,” Kalin said.

            “Hey! Sh-shut up!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! Once again, thanks for sticking along up to this point v(=∩_∩=)ﾌ I will be uploading weekly until hitting the end! Mild edits were made to earlier chapters, the most notable being 3 and 10 if you're interested. See you next week!


	20. Legendary Knight Critias

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...duels continued from last chapter:
> 
> RAIN ? [LP: 1900] vs. MISTY TREDWELL [LP: 4000]
> 
> R Cards in Hand = 4 / Cards on Field = 1 face-down spell/trap
> 
> M Cards in Hand = 2 / Cards on Field = Field Spell Mirror Labyrinth; Sad Story - Atrocious Day, Sad Story - Unwavering Truth, Sad Story - Sorrowful Memories; 1 face-down spell/trap; Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings [1900/2600] in Attack Position
> 
> KALIN KESSLER [LP: 3000] vs. AKIZA IZINSKI [LP: 4000]
> 
> K Cards in Hand = 2 / Cards on Field = Field Spell Pandemonium; 1 face-down spell/trap; Tragoedia [2CiH x 600 = 1200 ATK/DEF] in Attack Position
> 
> A Cards in Hand = 2 / Cards on Field = 1 face-down spell/trap; Black Rose Dragon [2400/1800] in Attack Position, Violet Witch [1100/1200] in Attack Position

            Kalin faced Aki, bearing his fresh wound with a grin. “It’s my move now! I sacrifice Tragoedia to summon Archfiend of Gilfer in attack position, and I’ll use it to destroy Violet Witch!”

            Aki’s life points dropped to 2900, but the black-winged fiend passed through her harmlessly. “Huh? It… It didn’t hurt me!”

            “Only Dark Signers can make Shadow Duels,” Kalin said, tapping his temple.

            “You’re not so lucky,” Aki shouted. “Violet Witch lets me add a monster to my hand from my deck, so I choose Phoenixian Seed. Your monster isn’t as strong as my legendary Signer Dragon!”

            “Too true. A filthy, evil Satellite like me can’t hope to stand up to one of the saviors of the world. I end my turn.”

            Aki’s crimson sign cast a ghastly red glow upon her angry glare. “You finally know your place. I summon Phoenixian Seed and use its effect, tributing it to summon Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis. Black Rose Dragon, attack Archfiend of Gilfer!”

            “Oh, and I forgot to add, the clouds above you spell out ‘gullible!’” Kalin snapped his fingers. “Forbidden Chalice activates, boosting Archfiend’s attack by 400 points!”

            “I activate my trap, Synchro Back! Black Rose Dragon returns to my Extra Deck.”

            The storm ended with Black Rose Dragon’s departure. Kalin whistled. “The legendary Signer Dragon, running away with its tail between its legs.”

            “I can’t _wait_ to wipe that smug look off your face when my Dragon returns. Synchro Back re-summons her in my next standby phase!”

            “Oh, wow. You have me terrified now. Terrified!”

            Aki snarled, “I _hate_ you! I set two cards face-down and end my turn!”

            “Don’t treat her like your enemy, Kalin,” Yusei said. “She’s a good person, I swear it! Do you hear me, Akiza? I know you’re in there! Whatever Sayer did to you, I’ll find you and bring you back!”

            “Sayer showed me he’s the only one I belong with… and that Dark Signer killed him! He’s gone forever… I don’t belong anywhere anymore.”

            “That’s not true,” Yusei urged. “You belong with us! Remember our marks. Can’t you feel how worried we are about you, and how much we care about you?”

            “The only thing I feel is anger,” Aki spat, “and my need for vengeance! I’ll have it once I’m through punishing Kalin!”

            “I told you, Akiza, he’s our friend!”

            Aki said, “You’re too good of a person to do what should be done. I won’t let him hurt you again.”

            “That sounds familiar,” Kalin muttered. A confident grin wiped away his concern. “Try your best. You won’t beat me. I activate Dark Core! By discarding, one of your monsters is removed from play. Say bye bye to your Cluster. I summon Terrorking Archfiend alongside my Gilfer. Okay, Gilfer, attack-”

            “I use my trap, Illusion Destruction! Gilfer is forced into face-down defense position!”

            “Uh, okay. Terrorking Archfiend still has his attack!” The monster blasted Aki, whose life dropped to 900. “See what I mean? You have no chance, Akiza. I have my partner at my back, so I can’t lose.”

            Aki’s response was sharp enough to cut: “The partner you left behind?”

            “Yep,” he answered, his smile steady.

            “The same goes for me!” I shouted. “It’s my draw! Looks like I drew a card that’s not a spell, trap, or monster!”

            The purple glow of the Dark Signer’s eyes widened. “ _What_?”

            “That’s, like, cheating,” Kalin commented.

            I revealed the dark blue card. A huge, black dragon stood in a rocky wasteland. I opened my mouth to speak but I suddenly couldn’t find the air. Another memory bubbled from the depths of my consciousness.

* * *

 

            A monster covered in fur had me pinned against cobblestones. It batted my saber away with its claws. I shoved at its shoulders, holding its snapping fangs an inch from my nose. The beast came closer, closer-

            “Honestly, this is just pathetic.”

            A lengthy sword stabbed through the beast’s neck up to its black hilt. Critias’s harsh, cobalt eyes seemed to pierce me in the same way. He said, “You’re supposed to be our _General_ , not an embarrassment.”

            I pushed the beast’s limp body off me, snatched up my saber, and faced Critias. I sheathed the blade and placed my hand over my heart with three fingers extended. “Thank you, Critias.”

            “How about you thank me by not making a fool of yourself every time you step into the battlefield? Your tactics are respectable from afar, but the second you join in, you become a chaotic mess.”

            “I-I’m sorry.”

            “Sorry?” he yelled. “Explain yourself! Is it because of this mess you made, you thrice-damned demon?”

            My breathing hitched. I glanced around the outer courtyard, but that part of my memory was shadowed and hazy. “That… could be it. I can’t forget my anger. Maybe, in a way, it comes back to me. It’s like a cloud in my mind. I can’t think past it.”

            “Then don’t get angry.”

            “It’s not that simple!” I screamed. “Don’t you realize who I am?”

            Critias stepped forward and shoved a finger into my collarbone. “You’re the Knight of Destiny, our General, and someone I am forced to work for. I can’t lose my dignity on someone else’s fault, now can I, demon?”

            My eyes were wide. “Y-yes sir!”

            “Then keep your head on your shoulders, ‘General!’”

            Critias stomped into the shadows at the edge of the vision.

* * *

 

            I smiled as I held out the card with the same conviction as my old friend. I told the wicked god, “This is the Fang of Critias, and it’s a Legendary Dragon! My pal here can combine with a trap card, so I fuse him with Birthright in my hand to create Last Rites Dragon!”

            The black-scaled dragon roared onto the scene. A white veil masked his face, and red banners trailed from his wings. He had 800 attack and 1800 defense. I special summoned him in defense position, so he tinged blue and held his claws in front of his covered snout.

            “Last Rites Dragon has some very special abilities,” I explained. “For example: once per turn, I can special summon a Normal monster in my graveyard. Your Dragon Queen allowed me to send a very special monster there. Give a warm welcome to the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!”

            I should have been happy to see the Blue-Eyes. Instead, the lurch of a buried memory stole all emotion. When I was eight years old, I saved a dying Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Because I did, everyone hated me. Because I did something good… I lost everything. That day, I learned the consequence of empathetic actions. That day, I decided…

            My friends were cheering at my move. My forearm ached. Fury blazed within, and my Orichalcos pendant glowed bright green.

            That was the day I decided to throw away my cursed human empathy.

            “Stop right there,” said the wicked god. “If you attack now, I will release the human I control. She will feel any damage you deal in my place.”

            “It’s hilarious you think I care.” I giggled. “Trying to appeal to my human empathy is not very smart. That half is _gone_. Oh, Ccarayhua, you should have listened to Uru. You should have been afraid of me. The pathetic excuse for a Signer behind me would’ve been easy. Show her true pain, Blue-Eyes! Destroy Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings with White Lightning!”

            My dragon released a deafening roar while sparks arced along its neck. Electricity built in its throat and exploded in a beam of destruction. The wicked god screamed. I had taken it so unaware with my mood swap it couldn’t switch back to Misty in time. Its life dropped to 2900, and the Dragon Queen shattered.

            “Um, Rain?” Kalin side-eyed me. “You okay?”

            “That’s not Rain!” Luna approached the dome. Her claw mark of the Crimson Dragon cast red light upon the blue glass. “Ancient Fairy Dragon says something is wrong!”

            I could see the spirit floating above the young Signer. The fairy-winged dragon urged, “You’re not yourself, Knight. A dark spell has fallen upon you.”

            “Cute lie,” I shouted. “I remembered some very important details I’d forgotten. Hurry up and make your move, Dark Signer! I’ll see your host dead yet!”

            “I do not fear you,” growled the dark god.

            A grin stretched my criminal mark. “I’ll have to retrain you.”

            “My draw! This card is reshuffled thanks to my Sad Stories. By sending Sad Story – Atrocious Days to the graveyard, Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings returns to the field! Destroy Last Rites Dragon!”

            The green dragon shot a purple stream of breath at Critias, who shattered. “I set one card face-down and end my turn.”

            “Look here! I just drew a trap, which is exactly the type of card I can keep thanks to you destroying your Sad Story. Foolish move. Your dragon is _weak_. Show her, Blue-Eyes! Attack!”

            “You activated my trap, Chaos Burst. By tributing my Dragon Queen, I can destroy your Blue-Eyes White Dragon and inflict 1000 damage to your life points!”

            The shards of my dying Blue-Eyes rained upon me, tearing skin. My life points dropped to 900. I sneered at the wicked god’s laugh. “Since my Battle Phase is over, I can use the effect of Last Rites Dragon in my grave. By removing it from play, I can restore a Normal monster in my grave to the field. Blue-Eyes returns, and your field is empty!”

            The Dark Signer was not shaken. “I activate Fires of Doomsday. This brings two Doomsday Tokens to my field!”

            Black fires danced opposite me. Kalin said, “Oh, shit, she’s going to summon it!”

            “I can’t wait to have a lovely reunion with you,” I told her. “I set a face-down and end my turn.”

            “Oh, no!” Leo exclaimed from outside the dome. “She’s gonna lose!”

            “We have to believe in her to the end,” Crow said beside him. “She pulled it off against Kalin, and she can do it here, too!”

            “Yeah, but… Rain isn’t herself right now,” Luna said.

            “I’m the self I lost. I’m the real me!”

            Ancient Fairy Dragon fluttered closer. “The memories he is feeding you aren’t the whole story.”

            I thinned my eyes. “I know these memories are real.”

            “Memories?” Kalin’s shoulder brushed mine. “Rain, do you remember who you were before the Satellite?”

            I moved away from him. “You’ll stay _back_ if you know what’s good for you!”

            “Hey, c’mon, what’s gotten into you?”

            My cape was as a fluttering shadow as I turned towards the wicked god. “Yet another worthless waste of space deigns to consider himself important. Original. Try listening, if you’re capable. It is the nature of humanity to fall like this one has. That’s why I’m showing her the agony towards death you all deserve.”

            “You mean you- are you trying to hurt Misty?”

            “You’re finished, Crimson Dragon!” shouted the wicked god. “I sacrifice my two tokens to summon Earthbound Immortal Ccarayhua!”

            A brown stone pulsed with purple veins in the sky. Black energy of consumed souls streamed into the heart, which exploded into the form of the Lizard. The black of its form was broken by stark, green lines along its body. Its huge mouth was lined with fangs, and its tail whipped wildly. The disturbing eyes rotated in all directions.

            Rage flared in me. The Orichalcos glowed brighter. “I hope you haven’t forgotten me, because I remember the moment I killed you so clearly, Ccarayhua! I remember tearing out those bulging eyes of yours and slicing off every one of those crooked fingers! Do your worst. You couldn’t kill me five thousand years ago, and you won’t kill me now.”

            “So it is you,” said the wicked god. “The little Knight. The Crimson Dragon isn’t flying by your side, and your special shiny one isn’t, either. You are alone. That means you’re powerless. You _will_ die this time! Attack directly, Ccarayhua!”

            As the Lizard’s hand lowered, a holographic card flipped up behind me. “I activate Aegis of Gaia. While it remains on the field, my life points are boosted by 3000!”

            I stood in the shadow of the giant palm. I looked skyward, and I was unafraid. When the sheer force of the attack tore at my hair like a hurricane wind, I closed my eyes, and-

            I was pushed out of the way. Kalin had taken my place. He was collapsed in the crater left by the Lizard’s strike.

            Something broke in me, and my rage dissolved. Instead I remembered holding my partner as his heart stopped. I shouted, “ _Kalin_!”

            He propped himself up on one shaking elbow. I stumbled to his side. Every one of his movements flashed an expression of pain across his face. He said, “You’re okay…”

            “Me? Kalin, you-”

            “Sh.” He tried to sit up but stumbled. I caught him. He leaned heavily on my shoulder. “I’ve never forgotten my promise to you. I mean, I’m clearly no goddamned angel, but _I’m going to protect you_. If we go down…”

            “We go down together,” I breathed.

            A flame kindled in my heart, and a memory burned through. A voice deeper than the Crimson Dragon’s rumbled, _We now share three abilities. The first is Shining Burst. When your heart is conquered by fury, you have the power to increase your strength to leagues beyond that of a human’s. The second is Shining Diffusion. When you find the serenity of kindness towards others, you may offer healing or protection._

            A cold laugh pierced my mind. My past self said, _“Guess I’ll never be able to use Shining Diffusion, but Shining Burst will surely come in handy!”_

            “Yoohoo.” Kalin waved a hand in front of my face. “You in there, partner? ‘Cause you still have a duel to win.”

            “I’m here.” Shining Burst was what happened when I slammed Regulus! These were the powers of the Blue Flame, which comes from… me? Maybe I could-

I planted a kiss on Kalin’s criminal mark. My palm rested on his chest, and warmth sprouted there. When I backed away, he was wide-eyed. “Did you, uh, do something?”

            I tilted my head and smiled. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

            “I just… feel a lot better all of a sudden.”

            The Crimson Dragon’s voice rung out. _Rain, I can reach you again! Please listen to me. You have to look at your arm! Then you’ll understand!_

            “My arm?” I mumbled. I shifted the makeshift bandage Kalin had torn from his shirt. Violet light spilled out. Pushing it further back revealed a glowing mark of the Spider.

            “Woah, what’s going on?” Leo called. “Is Rain a Dark Signer?”

            “That’s one of those marks the Shadow Drones sent after me had,” Yusei said. “They were being controlled by the Dark Signers!”

            “So that’s what was wrong with you. Roman’s trying to screw with your head,” Kalin said. He saw the fear written on my face. “Don’t worry, I can help. You’re not gonna like it, though.”

            “W-what do you-”

            Kalin grabbed my shoulder and shoved his hand under my cloak and down the back of my shirt. I screamed and struggled as he pulled something out. He released me. When I turned back, he had a tiny spider crushed between his fingers. It faded in dark fire. My pain and anger left with it. “There. That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

            I frowned. “Why didn’t you just tell me what you were trying to do?”

            “He can control people with the Spider shit. It’s creepy. I wasn’t about to take any chances.”

            “Control..?” Were those memories that returned to me lies? No, Ancient Fairy Dragon said he was giving me back my own memories. That meant I… I died? And, I wanted to kill Misty!

_Rain._ The Dragon’s voice soothed me. _However Roman affected you, you managed to find the light again. I was able to break through a tear your Blue Flame created to reach you._

_…That was only because Kalin… my partner protected me._ “Hey, thank you for rescuing me.”

            “Happy to do it!” He jumped to his feet with ease. I noticed the torn skin of his arm had healed along with the dark god’s attack. He crossed to face Aki, who was dazed. “Sorry for the interruption! I believe it was your turn.”

            “You saved her,” Aki muttered, her voice empty. “Just like… Sayer did for me. He’s gone forever. He was the only one who didn’t hate me because of my powers… He was- _my_ partner.”

            “You psychics have it pretty bad, huh,” Kalin lamented. “Hunted from every angle.”

            “That’s why we needed the Arcadia Movement,” Aki said. “It was a safe haven for us, but Misty destroyed it! She killed my partner and destroyed my home, and she’ll pay!”

            Mina stepped forward. “The Arcadia Movement was the opposite. Sayer was using the Movement as a front to conduct experiments on anyone with psychic powers and use them to further his power-hungry agenda.”

            “Oh, and let’s not forget he kidnapped and brainwashed me!” I glared at my own bare feet. “Sayer… was evil. He tried to kill me twice.”

            Kalin growled, “He did _what_?”

            “The first time was at the Arcadia Movement after I broke free of the brainwashing thanks to running into Yusei. The second time was… just now, before this duel. He knew I wanted to help you, Aki, so he tried to take me out.”

            “The same thing happened to me,” Yusei said. “He used one of his cards and left me for dead. That’s not the sort of partner you want, is it, Akiza? He’s been using you! He pinned all of those deaths he caused on you. He was the reason everyone hated you!”

            “No, Sayer loves me. He would never use me! He… he saved my life today, and he told me he believed in me to defeat the Dark Signer. Those were… his last words to me..! I have to fulfill them!”

            Rage built in me. “You’re in love with an evil asshole!”

            “I guess that makes two of us.”

            Kalin giggled. “Oh, she’s got you there, Rain!”

            “I hope you’re ready, Kalin,” Aki snarled. “I’ve learned your weakness. I know exactly how to hurt you now. My draw! Thanks to Synchro Back’s effect, Black Rose Dragon returns to my field.”

            The razor rose petals stormed within the dome. Aki’s Signer Dragon growled at Kalin’s two monsters: Archfiend of Gilfer in face-down defense position and Terrorking Archfiend in attack position. Terrorking’s attack increased from 2000 to 3000. “ _What_?”

            “Oh, right.” Kalin set a fist on his hip. The harsh winds from Black Rose Dragon had both of our cloaks flapping, and hairline gashes opened wherever our skin was bare. Despite everything, he had that wonderful smirk on his face. “Last turn, I discarded Imprisoned Queen Archfiend. While she’s in the grave and I have Pandemonium up, I can add 1000 attack to a four star or lower fiend of my choosing once per turn. Pretty cool, huh?”

            “We’ll see who’s smiling after I play this! The Thorn of Malice spell card equips to Black Rose Dragon and increases its attack by 600, equaling your Terrorking! I’m not aiming for him, though. Thorn of Malice prevents the destruction of any monster my Dragon attacks, but it allows piercing damage! Black Rose Dragon, attack Archfiend of Gilfer, and aim for Rain!”

            …Huh?

            A thorny vine tore past Kalin’s monster and whipped my left arm, ripping off skin. I screamed as the vine slithered back into Black Rose Dragon, and Kalin’s life points fell from 3000 to 2500. Dead silence settled after my cry of pain. Blood dripped down my elbow. I looked to my partner, and the horrified look on his face broke my heart.

            “Akiza, no!” Yusei’s voice was pained. “Why? Why would you attack your friend?”

            “To see that _look_ on Kalin’s face,” Aki said with a grin. “Now your Gilfer’s attack and defense are decreased by 600 thanks to Thorn of Malice, leaving it with 1600 attack and 1900 defense! I told you I figured out your weakness, Kalin.”

            “I’m starting to understand what being a ‘friend’ means to you Signers,” Kalin said, his voice dripping with venom. “It’s like when you leave Rain for dead at the Arcadia Movement, right?”

            He’s talking about when I saved Aki! How’d he know-

            “That mark’s some kind of cosmic joke,” Kalin scoffed. “You don’t care about anyone but yourself. You’d let the world be damned for your revenge. You’re just like me.”

            “I am not! I’ll punish Misty once I’m through with you! That’s the point of the Signers: to defeat the evil Dark Signers like you! After what you did to Yusei, it’s only _fair_.”

            Kalin glanced at the horizon, which the orange disk of the sun had touched. “You have an interesting arrangement of priorities. For the way you talk about this piece of shit Sayer… still seems to me like Yusei’s near-death experience hit you harder.”

            Aki turned to Yusei, whose hands were pressed against the dome. The pleading in his sapphire eyes was amplified by the violet light of the Lizard glyph against the dark clouds. The softness I knew returned to Aki’s voice when she said, “Yusei… you’re- you care about me, don’t you?”

            “ _Yes_ , Akiza. Nothing has changed since the Fortune Cup. Kalin and Rain taught me how tragic being born a psychic duelist is. I didn’t want you to suffer like they did! I didn’t want you to feel trapped! Sayer only made the reputation psychics had worse. Doesn’t change anything, Akiza, because I see you for the hero you are!”

            “Hero..?” Her focus drifted to her crimson mark then to us. “How do you know about… feeling trapped?”

            “Oh, she missed the memo.” Kalin grinned. “To be a psychic in the Satellite means a lifetime in the Facility. Rain here was too dangerous to even walk the streets! At least, that’s what Sector Security decided… for all Satellites with powers.”

            Aki’s hands flew to her face. “No… no way! So, Rain, your criminal mark..!”

            “The hell do you care,” Kalin spat. “We’re just pieces of Satellite trash like you said!”

            I grasped his arm. “This is the _real_ Aki, and she would never say that!”

            “Oh, right. This is the one who left you to die, isn’t it?”

            “I told her to leave,” I said. “I was trying to save her! It’s my duty to protect the Signers. The Crimson Dragon and I agreed on that! He gave me a purpose, like I always wanted!”

            “So who’s supposed to save you, huh, Rain?” The intense fury of my partner’s glare injected fear into me. “Because none of your Signer pals came back for their big red dragon. They were content to let you die.”

            “H-how do you know that?”

            “Misty told me.” He observed the possessed Dark Signer behind us. The Earthbound Immortal’s gaze bore into me. Kalin continued, “She wasn’t happy with your little hero act. She wished Akiza had died there… but it would be her ‘friend’ instead.”

            “Rain, I… I almost got you killed,” Aki said. Tears streamed down her face. “And all because I wouldn’t listen. Now, it’s happened again… I hurt you.”

            “Aki, no! Remember what you told me last night: we’re together in this! I believe the same as Yusei. That wasn’t you. The real you… has only been in solidarity with me.”

            “I know, but he’s right,” Aki muttered. “I ran away from you while you were dying.”

            “And I didn’t even think to check on you once we saw Akiza was okay,” Luna said, her pigtails drooping with her lowered head.

            Leo joined in: “I didn’t believe some girl would have to save me, but you totally did. We all left, so… if it weren’t for Kalin, you’d be toast.”

            His final sentence struck me. “Kalin? What did you-”

            “The duel isn’t over yet, Signer. It’s my turn now.” He swiped a card off his deck, keeping his focus pointedly on Aki. “Terrorking Archfiend’s attack is increased to 3000. I change Archfiend of Gilfer to attack position, and I’ll use Terrorking to attack Black Rose Dragon!”

            Since their power matched, both monsters shattered. A face-down on Aki’s field flipped up. “My trap, Wicked Rebirth, brings Black Rose Dragon back at the cost of 800 life points! I use my Dragon’s effect, destroying every card on the field!”

            As the petal storm surged, Kalin instinctively wrapped an arm around me. I leaned into him and begged, “Please, _please_ tell me the truth.”

            “Look, I…” He scanned the many wounds I’d earned today. “Misty said _you_ bailed Akiza out. I had to make sure you were okay. You were crushed under this huge chunk of rock, and you were barely breathing. I got you the hell out of there and to the hospital.”

            “It was… _you_?”

            “…Yeah. So forgive me for being more than a little pissed off on your behalf after seeing you half-dead. I could never imagine seeing that and… and _leaving_.”

            The words cut into Aki, and she grimaced. Her storm had ended. The Signer Dragon and Kalin’s monster were gone. I said, “Stop it. You’re hurting her.”

            He stared at the gash on my left elbow. “You shouldn’t be so quick to forgive. What makes her a friend to you other than some shiny mark? You and Yusei talk mad game but I haven’t seen any proof of why she’s a Signer.”

            “When Aki’s been herself, she’s shown me nothing but kindness,” I explained. “And that’s the only reason why you’ve been able to make her feel so guilty! _Stop it_!”

            “…Fine, if it’s what you want. But you should know. Both duelists on this field tend to hold grudges.”

            “Like over attempted murder,” Aki snarled, the fire burning in her irises again.

            “Exactly! So. Let the duel go on!”

            “Don’t keep going,” Yusei said. “She was almost back! End the duel, Kalin. You have nothing to gain. This Akiza isn’t the one Rain and I know. She’s still trying to hurt you, and she won’t be afraid to use Rain to do it.”

            “Tch! I would never give up on a duel. I’m fighting for something, too. I’m here to take away your honor as a Signer. Oh, and you can try, but there’s no way in hell you’re touching my partner again.”

            Aki’s sinister smile made me shiver. “End your turn so I can prove you wrong.”

            “Certainly!”

            Red petals like drops of blood stained the arena. Black Rose Dragon blossomed at the center of the swarm. Aki said, “Black Rose Dragon returns since it was destroyed by a card effect other than Wicked Rebirth!”

            I glanced at Kalin’s hand, which had a monster he could have summoned. “Um, Kalin..?”

            “Hey, Rain.” He wrapped an arm around me and pulled me close. His lips brushed my ear so I could hear him over the roar of the Dragon and its storm: “After everything I managed to mess up… do you trust me?”

            He saved me so many times. Even when he was dead, he found me and rescued me. He really was my… guardian angel. I looked to my partner, to the criminal mark breaking his skin he had taken for my sake. “Of course I do.”

            “Black Rose Dragon, attack directly, and aim for Rain!”

            Kalin moved between me and the approaching vines. I let him. The strike bit into his stomach. He clutched at it and stepped back, and I thought I heard him screaming, but-

            He was _laughing_ , caught in a mad fit. “Is that it? Really? Damn, Akiza, those friends of yours are right! You’re all talk! Guess what? I’m still standing, and I’m far from satisfied!”

            His life points dropped to a mere 100, which matched Aki’s. His field was empty, and his words had made Aki’s fury blaze higher. The feelings leaked through to her Dragon, which made the petal storm fly at faster speeds. Kalin pulled me close again, and I noticed his fingers were bloodied. Aki said, “I set one card face-down and end my turn.”

            “Hey, partner. Think you could give me a hand here? Mine’s a little occupied.” He winked and held up his left arm, which had his borrowed duel disk clamped on.

            “You mean you want me to..?” He held the one card in his hand between his fingers, and I took it. “Uh, okay. Our draw!”

            I pulled off the card and showed it to him. He instantly frowned. “Shit! C’mon, Rain! You were supposed to have the lucky fingers! Oh, goddammit.”

            “Hey! How is this my fault?”

            “Just play the goddamned card! I remove from play Archfiend of Gilfer, Shadowknight Archfiend, and Tragoedia from play to special summon Dark Necrofear in defense position!”

            I slid it onto his disk, and the blue-skinned fiend burst to life. Its stare bore into Aki’s soul. It cradled a broken doll in its hands, and its empty glass eyes rolled around to follow wherever the fiend’s gaze landed. Dark Necrofear had 2200 attack and 2800 defense. Kalin sighed. “We’ll set a face-down and end turn, I guess.”

            Why was he acting like this? That card I drew, and Dark Necrofear… Oh, my stars. Was he trying to make it so she’s not afraid of his monster? Could it be… all his making her angry was to-

            “You’re finished.” Aki grinned. “I draw. I’ll use the effect of Black Rose Dragon! Dark Necrofear switches to attack position, and its attack drops to zero-”

            “Nope! I’ll use my spell, Forbidden Chalice! Black Rose Dragon’s effect is negated, but its attack increases by 400, which only matches Necrofear’s defense. No way you’re getting past this monster!”

            “Haha! That’s what you think! I activate my trap, Overdoom Line! Every monster special summoned from the grave increases their attack by 1000. My Dragon now has 3400 attack, which is plenty for your pathetic monster. Black Rose Dragon, destroy Dark Necrofear!”

            My mouth dropped open. “No way… she actually did it! You’re… you’re the best bluff in the world.”

            “You make a great accomplice,” Kalin said. “Almost like we’re partners in crime or something.”

            “Oh, wow, you’re _hilarious_.”

            He was smiling anyway. Aki shouted, “Why are you two so happy? I just eliminated your last hope!”

            “Eh, not exactly. This was so much more than a duel. I said I would take away your honor as a Signer, Akiza. So here it is! Dark Necrofear’s ability activates!” Black Rose Dragon’s shadow tinged blue, and a purple haze encompassed it. The Dragon flew onto Kalin’s field. When it did, the storm around us ended. He released me and stepped forward.

            “See, since you’re just like a Dark Signer, I know exactly how you think. As long as you’re wrapped up in your revenge on Misty and me, you won’t give a shit about anything else. Dueling shows a person’s true personality. You completely ignored my monster’s ability because you were so pissed off. Same goes for the fate of the world, I guess. Well! Someone’s got to seal that control unit, and now that your Dragon’s mine, that someone is going to be me.”

            The Crimson Dragon growled. _I do not like him. At all._

_Yeah, I figured. But I think he’s absolutely fantastic!_

            “My Signer Dragon is… against me?” Aki fell to her knees. “You were trying to… The whole time, you wanted to take my Dragon card for the control unit?”

            Kalin flashed a grin. “Absolutely. I was totally bluffing. Hell, after what I did, I can forgive anything. I mean, you kinda pissed me off with the whole hurting my partner thing, but I’m over it as long as she is.”

            “…You’re…” Aki’s expression was neutral, and her voice was calm. “…Crazy.”

            “Uh, Luna, did you get all of that?” Leo asked. His sister shook her head.

            Crow laughed. “Kalin used to pull this sh- I mean, trick all the time back in the day. Dark Necrofear lets you take control of an opponent’s monster when it’s destroyed by an opponent’s monster or card effect. He baited her into destroying it.”

            “Dammit, Kalin,” Yusei grumbled. “You had me worried there for a few minutes!”

            “…Sorry. This’ll all be over soon. Rain’s about to win, and I’ll take care of the tower when she does.”

            “Win? Please.” The Dark Signer chuckled. “My Earthbound Immortal is on the field. You’ll be consumed just like that fool, Sayer!”

            Kalin snapped his fingers. “Show her, partner.”

            I rested my fingertips on my deck and smiled. “O-kay!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Below is the description for the Critias combination appearing in this chapter.
> 
> Last Rites Dragon
> 
> Eight-Star, LIGHT Attribute
> 
> [Dragon/Fusion/Effect] [800 ATK / 1800 DEF]
> 
> The Fang of Critias + Birthright
> 
> Once per turn while you control this face-up card, you can special summon one Normal monster from your graveyard. If this card is in your graveyard, during your Main Phase 2, you can remove it from play to special summon a Normal monster from your graveyard.


	21. Legendary Knight Hermos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...duels continued from last chapter:
> 
> RAIN ? [LP: 1100] vs. MISTY TREDWELL [LP: 2900]
> 
> R Cards in Hand = 3 / Cards on Field = Blue-Eyes White Dragon [3000/2500] in Attack Position; face-up Aegis of Gaia; 1 face-down trap
> 
> M Cards in Hand = 0 / Cards on Field = Field Spell Mirror Labyrinth; Sad Story - Unwavering Truth, Sad Story - Sorrowful Memories; Earthbound Immortal Ccarayhua [2800/1800] in Attack Position; 1 face-down trap
> 
> KALIN KESSLER [LP: 100] vs. AKIZA IZINSKI [LP: 100]
> 
> K Cards in Hand = 0 / Cards on Field = Black Rose Dragon [2400/1800] equipped with Dark Necrofear
> 
> A Cards in Hand = 1 / Cards on Field = Overdoom Line

            My partner’s sheer belief fueled my draw. “As it so happens, I drew another Legendary Dragon, which is unaffected by your Sad Story spell cards!”

            “Those cards aren’t real,” the wicked god hissed. The fires of the dark sign of the Lizard caught as a gleam in her dark eyes. “They are illegal for use!”

            “And yet here Hermos is,” I said with a smile. I had set the card in the spell slot, and the red dragon had appeared as was normal. Hermos’s yellow eyes blinked at me. I wondered if he was smiling back. At the thought, a memory rose from the depths of my mind.

* * *

            “Hey, Rain… Do you mind if I just call you Rain? The whole ‘Knight’ junk gets old quickly.”

            “Sure,” I said. I had learned to let Hermos do most of the talking. I set aside my sewing kit and the black cloak I was embroidering. Hermos removed his red helmet and tossed his blond locks. “So what do I call you?”

            “Me? Stick with Hermos, though… my full name’s Hermocrates.” He winked at me. I wasn’t sure what it was supposed to mean. “Anyways, I’ve been looking for you because I wanted to ask you something. Do you… Eh, it might not be a good idea to bring it up, but I can’t shake it. Do you regret what you did, Rain?”

            Did I regret it. The short answer was no. However, there were some things I never could have foreseen when performing the act that I wish never happened. I said, “In some ways I do, yes.”

            Hermos sighed as though releasing pent-up anxiety. “That’s good. You know you’ll have to see them all again, right? I wanted to make sure it wouldn’t mess with your head or anything.”

            Of course it wouldn’t. That moment was the most clear of any in my life. But it was past, as Timaeus said. Hermos went on: “Just, whatever happens, I want you to know we’re friends. We have your back.”

            “I don’t think that’s true.”

            “What?” he shouted. “I have your back no matter what, and if you try to fight that-”

            “No, not that part,” I said. “The part about being friends. I don’t think I’m friends with anybody. Well, I was, but he’s… you know.”

            “Oh, yeah. Him.” Hermos’s face fell. “Rain, I think of you as a friend. So, in my book, we’re friends!”

            “…If you could see and know everything about me, I don’t think we would be.”

            “Eh. All that’s happened is happened, sure, but Rain! I know you now, and I like being pals with you. How about we keep a good thing going?”

            A small smile played at my lips. “Yeah. Yeah, fine. Get out of here, would you? You’re distracting me!”

            Hermos had a ridiculous smile. He put his helmet on backwards, twirled it around, and said his good-byes.

* * *

           The reminder of my “pal” Hermos left the same goofy grin on my face. I explained, “This is the Claw of Hermos, and I can combine him with a monster to create an Equip Spell Card. I’ll fuse him with The White Stone of Legend to create Sacrificial Shining Stone! This spell equips to the Blue-Eyes White Dragon on my field, who I can now tribute to special summon two Blue-Eyes from my deck!”

            A glowing white rock of perfect smoothness floated before Blue-Eyes. The dragon and stone broke into a thousand tiny lights, which gathered into the forms of two more white dragons.

            “Now I’m able to use this card in my hand: Dragon’s Mirror! By removing from play the two Blue-Eyes on my field and the one in my grave, I can fusion summon the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!” Three scales merged into the mirror’s reflection, and the three-headed dragon of power shattered through the glass. “Now I’ll activate the trap I drew last turn. Dust Tornado destroys your field spell, Mirror Labyrinth, and without a field spell your Earthbound Immortal’s abilities are negated!”

            A typhoon whipped up, ripping apart the dome separating us from the others. The blue and purple shards dissolved within the tornado.

            “Hahaha! You’ve made a horrible mistake! By relying on a powerful monster instead of your weaker ones, you’ve doomed yourself! I activate my trap, Nightmare Wheel! This equips to your Ultimate Dragon and prevents it from attacking. Each standby phase, you’ll take 500 points of damage! This duel is only a matter of time for you.”

            “I haven’t made any mistakes.” Blue fire caught on the last card in my hand. “This was a fate I created myself. The path I built leads to the final card in my hand, my most powerful monster of all.”

            Misty’s face twisted in fear. “That fire..! It can’t be!”

            “I release Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon to special summon Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon!” I pulled away the fusion monster and slammed my card on my duel disk.

            Though Ultimate Dragon disappeared, nothing took its place. My field was empty and silent. I blinked. “Um…”

            “Maybe the hologram’s messed up,” Kalin muttered. “Bummer. Looked like a cool move.”

            “Hologram?” My head ached. “My monsters… aren’t holograms.”

            “Oh. Hate to break your heart, but psychic powers just give the hologram attacks physical form. They’re not real or anything.”

            “No, that’s… not true, because my powers- I’m not psychic. I’m-” I gripped my temples. “I _remember_ -!”

            “Remember what? Hey, stay with me, alright?”

            My monsters were real. That’s why in my ‘psychic’ duels they come to both sides of the field, with me and against me. It’s because I asked them to! Back when monsters and humans shared this world, before the Spirit World existed. That was over five thousand years ago, when I lived… and died.

            I saved a Blue-Eyes White Dragon, one of the most dangerous monsters to exist. My city despised monsters, but I couldn’t turn away from its suffering. Because of me, it was able to evolve. The strongest version of itself… decided to merge with me.

            The reason why I was the Crimson Dragon’s only choice for a vessel, the reason why the humans hated me, the reason why I can visit the Spirit World, the reason why they call me ‘young dragon’:

            I was only half-human. My other half was…

            Azure flames sparked from my soul and raced across my skin. My blue eyes glowed, and my white hair floated behind me as though gravity forgot each strand. The Blue Flame was my aura. Its light was warmth, and its light was hope.

            “What the hell?” Kalin exclaimed. “You’re on fire!”

            Leo screamed while Luna said, “I can see a spirit in there! Wait, is..? No way! The spirit’s _in Rain_.”

            “Let’s try this one more time,” I said. “Awaken from within, Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon!”

            The fire exploded off of me and melded into the form of a bright-winged dragon. Large sapphires sparkled along his streamlined body, and light like the sun’s poured out of every scale. An azure glow matching the Blue Flame burned from the accents along the dragon’s body.

            “Shining Dragon,” Luna said in awe. “It’s… beautiful.”

            “Don’t let his lovely appearance fool you! Our first ability, Shining Burst, takes effect! Each dragon in my grave gives Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon 300 extra attack points. Right now I have the White Stone of Legend and Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon boosting our attack to 3600!” Shades of the fallen beasts offered their energy unto the light.

            “No, not this again,” the wicked god begged. “The Knight and the Shining Dragon were supposed to be sealed away by Uru! How could he betray me? How could he let me die in the same way twice?”

            “History is doomed to repeat itself. Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon, destroy Earthbound Immortal Ccarayhua! Shining Neutron Blast!”

            My dragon’s roar shook the heavens. The Lizard squealed and tried to slither away. Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon’s blast of breath was blinding, and it tore through Ccarayhua’s wide-open jaws. The blackness shattered into hundreds of freed souls. The wicked god’s life points fell from 2900 to 2100. Its shrill scream nearly pierced my eardrums.

            The violet glow faded from Misty Tredwell’s eyes and red markings. A sigh escaped her as she hit the earth. She held herself up on her hands and knees. “Where… am I? The last thing I remember… I was trying to fold so Akiza could win. Oh, God, I tried to _kill_ her, and she didn’t do anything wrong..!”

            “Hey, Misty!” Kalin called. “Is it really you? You’re back?”

            “Kalin? And, you- you’re Kalin’s girlfriend, Rain. How are both of you here? Your dark mark is gone!”

            My partner’s hand fell upon his right forearm. “Well, see, you’re not the only one who screwed up. I lost, and I was glad to do it. Rain knocked some sense into me.”

            “Sense,” I muttered, gazing into the brilliant light of my Shining Dragon. “Everything makes sense. Misty, you’re freed. The wicked god is dead. We can end the duel, and-”

            “I’m sorry, Rain.” Misty held up her arm, which bore the dark sign of the Lizard. “As long as I live, so do the Earthbound Immortal and these fires. You have no choice but to win this duel. It’s fine. I’m the one who made so many mistakes. This is what I deserve.”

            “Making one mistake shouldn’t doom you!” My stare darted around frantically. “W-we can find a way around the fires, and-”

            “Hey…” Kalin slipped his fingers through mine. “Listen to her.”

            Misty’s gaze was far away. “Maybe I can see Toby again. Maybe… he’ll forgive me, one day, even if I don’t deserve it. I’m sorry I caused so much trouble for you, Rain. Thank you… for defeating me. And, Akiza, please know how wrong everything I said and did to you was. You’re an astounding duelist, a strong woman, and a role model to psychics everywhere. I’m happy… my brother found you. I’m happy that, before he went, he had someone who understood. Don’t let Sayer break you, too. I know how powerful a ghost can be, but you are stronger.”

            “A role model?” Aki was still on her knees, and her eyes were empty. She touched her disheveled hair. “But you said I… I belong as a monster.”

            “I was wrong. Those powers of yours don’t mean anything, Akiza. You’re human like everyone else. I’m so sorry for believing otherwise. It was because of Sayer. He was the real monster, and the only one.”

            “Human,” I muttered. My dragon’s neck swiveled so our blue eyes could meet. I… wasn’t.

            Tears streamed down Aki’s cheeks. “I forgive you, Misty. I forgive you! I’m so sorry for what Sayer did. I’m so sorry he caused all this pain, and I can’t even let him go!”

            “It will be alright, Akiza Izinski.” Misty smiled. “Ghosts cannot hurt you. The same will go for me. My darkness will be gone, and you can save the world as your destiny foretells.”

            “I..!” Aki clutched at her temples. “I _can’t_! I can’t let Sayer go, and that means I..!”

            Through her sign, I could feel the oppressive anger leaking into her again. It was from some outside force, some lingering effect Sayer left behind. Kalin said, “I get the feeling we should finish this now.”

            My eyebrows scrunched. “But, Misty…”

            “Oh, and, Kalin,” she called. “You two look… right. I can see where you belong now.”

            “It’s… been real, Misty. Thanks… for everything. For being a friend, especially.” My partner’s smile quivered. Fiery determination wiped it away. “I hope you’re not planning on going down without a fight!”

            Misty looked to my dragon. “Of course not. My draw. This is a trap I can keep, but it doesn’t make a difference to Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon. This is Mirror Force.”

            “Right,” I said, not able to place any fuel in my voice. “Shining Diffusion can negate any ability that targets us.”

            “I pass my turn to you.”

            My breath caught in my throat as I met the eyes of the woman I was about to kill. Kalin’s voice steadied me. “We’ll do it together, okay, Rain? Back-to-back, and you focus on me.”

            “…Okay.” He pressed his shoulder blades to mine, and I felt the heat we shared instead of the cold claw grasping my heart. I started, “Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon…”

            “Black Rose Dragon!”

            My partner and I shouted in unison, “Direct attack!”

            Raging petals and blazing light met their marks. Aki’s life fell from 100 to zero, and Misty’s points dropped from 2100 to zero. Neither of our attacks physically hurt our opponents. Misty smiled at Shining Dragon, and she said, “I feel… hope.”

            She collapsed into dust. Aki was rooted in place. I could feel her despondency through our crimson bond, and it aligned with my own. Kalin was the first to move; he removed Black Rose Dragon from his borrowed duel disk, shuffled his cards into his deck, and held the deck out to me. I didn’t have the energy to ask. He could read the question in my expression. “As long as it’s with you, I know it’s safe.”

            “But… your deck is your everything.”

            “Nah.” He lifted my stained-red hand, placed his deck in my palm, and rested my other hand on top. “That would be you. So! You keep this. Really. It belongs with you. While you’re putting it away, I’ll take care of that tower.”

            I managed a smile as he ran to the Lizard control unit. My anchor, Kalin’s old deck, returned to its resting place in my back pocket. The former Dark Signer used his stolen dragon to seal the tower, and he dashed out before it shook and sank into the dirt.

            Leo was shouting about how awesome the duels were, and Luna couldn’t rip her gaze away from me. My Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon had disappeared like the holograms, but maybe she could see the Blue Flame within me. I wonder if she could tell that I… wasn’t human.

_She is not afraid, young dragon. She is in awe._

_Am I truly like the rest, Crimson Dragon? Am I a… duel spirit?_

_Check your Extra Deck._

            I pulled out the small pack of cards tucked in a compartment beneath the Main Deck. A fusion monster I didn’t recognize was included. I scrutinized the card art, which displayed…

            _Me,_ wearing my full set of armor and holding a white sword.

            Air escaped my lungs and the card fluttered from my grasp. I was sensible enough to catch it before it landed in the dust, and I held it close to my chest. Internal screaming reverberated throughout my empty mind. The tremble of my hands spread like an infection to my other limbs. If anyone found out, they’d treat me like in the past. I’d lose everything. Again. I was a- a goddamned card!

_Rain, please. Feel the crimson threads woven into your soul. You are connected to these people, and though you may be half-duel monster, their opinion of you would not change. Besides, you have only bits and pieces of your memories. I am sure you were not hated by everyone._

_I can’t… I can’t trust-_

            “Hey, partner, it’s okay.” Kalin’s whisper was as gentle as his touch as he held my shaking hands. “You saw her when she went, right? She was peaceful. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

            My breathing hitched. “C-could you say that last part again?”

            “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

            A tear traced down my criminal mark, and my grip on him tightened. “Thank you, partner. Thank you.”

            “No problem!” He released me, and my trembling had stopped.

            I… remembered. I wasn’t born a psychic like Aki. Ancient Fairy Dragon made me an offer to tie my soul and heart to the duel spirits, which allowed the true monsters to appear in response to my emotions. The way I did that was by…I pulled the edge of my shirt away from my chest and peered within. A dark mark similar to the Seal of Orichalcos was carved in the skin over my heart like a tattoo. No, more like a scar. I let go of the fabric, leaving it to fall back in place. The symbols outside the ring translated into a different sentence than the Seal-

            “Rain…” Kalin was staring at me. “Did you just check yourself out?”

            “What? No!”

            “Aw, it’s okay. If I were you, I would, too,” he said with a wink.

            My blush prevented my thoughts from traveling further. He watched with a snicker. “Sh-shut up!”

            “Fiiine. What’s next?”

            “I was… worried about Aki.”

            “Oh, don’t be! Check it out!” Kalin hooked his arm around my shoulders, and we watched her together. Yusei had knelt by her side. His tail mark shone through his glove.

            “I’m just… I’m so alone without him, Yusei.” Aki wrapped her arms around herself. Yusei ran his finger along the outline of her crimson sign, and she watched with a blank expression.

            “You don’t have to be. You can let go of the façade he built for you. You can be yourself. Personally, I think you should. Whenever a glimpse of her shines through, I feel graced to see something truly wonderful.”

            “Y-you don’t get it, Yusei! He loved me like no one else could!”

            “Well, I-” Yusei was forced to recover any composure he could grasp through his raw emotion. With a shaking voice, he said, “I love you, too, Akiza.”

            “You… what?” Blush blossomed on her cheeks. “B-but I’m a-”

            He cut her off with a kiss, which she met. The pink of her blush darkened to scarlet. Yusei broke away and said, “You’re a beautiful hero.”

            “Oh.” By her stunned look, I guessed it was all she could say.

            I clasped my hands together and rested my cheek on them. “That was… so sweet!”

            A rectangle of light formed at Aki’s chest. It transformed into a card and fluttered onto the ground. She read the name of the spell card aloud: “Attack Pheromones..?”

            Yusei’s fingers curled into a fist. “I guess this was his last ‘gift’ to you. Are you feeling okay now?”

            “I feel… amazing,” she said, smiling sweetly. “Um, Kalin, I’m sor-”

            Kalin threw Black Rose Dragon so the card sliced through the dirt beside her. “You can keep the apologies to yourself.”

            “The hell is going on here?” Jack’s bellowing voice captured everyone’s attention as his white duel runner skidded to a stop. He tossed his battered helmet away and stormed towards the gathered crowd.

            “Hey, you won! Nice going,” Crow said. “That means we sealed the control units in time! Uh, why do you look so pissed off?”

            Jack shoved him aside and glared at my partner. Through grit teeth, he said, “Why are _you_ here?”

            “Oh, lookie. The gang’s all here!” Kalin giggled. “So, pretty boy, how’d it go? You look roughed up. I’ll bet she enjoyed doing it, too!”

            Jack marched over, grabbed Kalin by his cloak’s collar, and slammed his fist into Kalin’s cheek. As he went sprawling to the ground, Jack said, “All you’ve left behind is broken pieces. Yusei hardly moved for months after what you pulled with Security, and I had to practically carry Rain back to Martha’s after she saw you! You don’t give a shit about anyone! So why should it be _you_ , Kessler? _Why the hell should you get to live_?”

            “ _Stop_!” I planted myself between the two. “I’m sorry, Jack. I’m sorry she’s gone, but please don’t act like this!”

            His arms dropped to his sides, their fists unclenched. “You… how are you even standing after your runner crash?”

            He heard..? My hand went to my likely broken ribs. “I didn’t plan on dying today.”

            “Looks like _someone_ had a different plan for you.”

            “Oh, yeah!” Kalin was back on his feet, and a mad grin was plastered on his face. “But Rain always ruins my plans. You did the same to your little fangirl, didn’t you?”

            Jack growled, “I’ll kill you myself!”

            Before he sprung forward, Yusei and Crow restrained him. Yusei said, “Cut it out, you two! We’re on the same side!”

            “You must be joking! Look at him! He tried to kill you both!”

            Kalin laughed while touching the swelling bruise on his face. “You know, this is exactly how I imagined our team reunion would go! You’re right, Jack. I should have stayed dead and forgotten. I should have done a lot of things, but here we are.”

            “No, you shouldn’t,” I whispered. Kalin heard, and a frown erased his previously crazy expression. Jack also eased. Crow and Yusei released him. “The towers are all gone, so… are we done? Is it over?”

            “’Fraid not,” Kalin answered. “Roman was really hunting the Vessel because the Crimson Dragon card is required to seal the reactor in the crater.”

            “Oh.” I fidgeted. “Did you tell him I-”

            “No. I wouldn’t sell out my partner.”

            “We were kinda supposed to be enemies.”

            “Yeah, well, I didn’t see it that way.”

            “Could’ve fooled me,” Jack grumbled. “What are you even talking about? There’s no Crimson Dragon card. The Dragon is this mystical _thing_ that shows up sometimes.”

            A card popped out of my deck, and I showed it to Jack. “I’m the Vessel of the Crimson Dragon Godwin talked about. The Dragon’s holding me together right now.”

            Jack was wide-eyed. “You and the Dragon are… together? When did that happen? Is this a part of your lost memories?”

            “Um, yeah. I’ve gotten back bits and pieces, but the most important parts are still missing.”

            “Those pieces are hiding under your nose, Rain Orichalcum!” The voice and accompanying laugh bounced around the nearby buildings. Black flames twirled from the earth and formed Roman, the final Dark Signer. “Wonderful to see you again. I remember the last time you were in such a horrid, torn-up state. How unfortunate that memory is lost on you, monster. With what you _have_ remembered, I’m sure you understand this isn’t the world you belong in.”

            I thought of the Spirit World, and how right I had felt surrounded by old friends. Aki ran to my side; her silver hair clip was back in place. “We aren’t monsters, and this is exactly where we belong!”

            “You haven’t shared the truth of your identity with your Signers?” Roman feigned surprise and followed up with laughter. “Listen well, humans. Your ‘friend’ and I have more in common than you do to her. Rain died over five thousand years ago before being resurrected by the Crimson Dragon. We’re a pair of evil spirits!”

            I glanced at my friends, who were all shock-stricken. Luna said, “Regulus was telling the truth? You’re… ancient..?”

            I waved my hands in front of my face. “L-look, it’s not like that! I’m more like a time traveler! I’m not old or anything! That’d be totally weird! And, plus, I’m not evil!”

            “You have been acting the hero, but it is nothing more than an act. The Crimson Dragon chose you solely out of necessity. You were his only option, and he was so afraid to become a part of you.”

            The Dragon emerged from me and roared at Roman, who didn’t flinch. Instead he laughed and said, “So you returned to her after all, Dragon! You’d have been better off staying separated from the wicked vessel of yours. You see, Rain, you weren’t my spider’s only target. I also returned some memories to your Crimson Dragon. When I said your missing memories are right under your nose, I meant they are with your Dragon.”

            _Don’t listen to him_ , urged the Dragon. _He’s trying to manipulate you._

            “Why…” My voice shook. “Why would you be afraid of me?”

            “I knew it,” Roman said. “I knew he wouldn’t tell you. He didn’t tell you about Kessler either, did he?”

            My gaze dropped to my bare feet. I thought, _You knew the night he saved me at the Arcadia Movement, too, but you didn’t tell me. You lied to me!_

_I withheld the truth to protect you!_

_…Everyone keeps saying that, and it only brings about pain._ “So tell me the truth!” I commanded. “Tell me what he showed you!”

            The Crimson Dragon disappeared, and silence settled. Roman broke it: “I suppose he’s still afraid of you, monster. I’ll help you link the pieces of this puzzle together. Did you know the Crimson Dragon had to pick you up from hell?”

            I balked. “H-hell? Why would I…”

            The memories of Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos nipped at the back of my mind. Each of them had referenced something I had done. Hermos, in particular, made it sound like something awful. “What… did I do?”

            “Slow as ever,” Roman sighed. “Let’s start small, Rain. I see someone was foolish enough to return a blade to your hands. Tell me, how much blood has it drawn today?”

            “My… sword?” I drew the saber from its sheath, and the dark stains were clear.

            “As I suspected. You may be under the impression your Knighthood and Blue Flame abilities are some example of what a hero you were. Wrong. You used your unbelievable power to fulfill your own selfish desires.

            “Think back on today, Rain. When you used your blade, was it in self-defense? Was it for a begrudging need? Or was it something you wanted – something deeply satiating to cut into flesh and watch the blood run?”

            I recalled the disappearing monkeys, the fading Zeman, and Sayer’s screams. I had to agree with his last point, but my throat was clenched so tightly I couldn’t say it out loud.

            Roman laughed. “You can see her answer. Tearing their life away was easy for her. Killing is a simple act with eternal consequences, but those consequences mean nothing to Rain. She’s spent as much time studying human torture as she has duel monsters. She didn’t learn to use her sword or master her power over the Blue Flame to be some hero. Rain Orichalcum used them to become a mass murderer.”

            My blade slipped from my grasp. In the moments of stillness before it hit the earth, flashes of images flooded my mind’s eye. Killing Zeman was an act of sheer instinct. When I held Sayer in the shadow of Meteor of Destruction, I knew exactly where and how deep to cut him to provide the most pain. In the Satellite, I had enjoyed hurting people. My former self made a short appearance in my duel with Misty, and she wanted to murder the Dark Signer.

            The Orichalcos sword sliced deep into the dirt, masking the blood from the mortal wound it had caused. I could see it, though. I could see _everything_ : the splatters of blood, the maimed limbs, the piles and piles of still human bodies, and I-

            “That’s the wildest lie I’ve ever heard,” Crow said. “Ever since I met Rain in the Satellite, she’s fought to help people! All day today, she’s been trying to save the world. Rain’s a hero if I’ve ever seen one!”

            Yusei added, “The Crimson Dragon chooses those with selfless hearts, and she’s no different!”

            “Ah, you’re not hearing me, Fudo.” Roman shook his head. “The murderer you harbor among you was the Crimson Dragon’s only option. You see, she’s the only being in existence who is half-human, half-duel spirit. That is why she can cross realms to the Spirit World. I believe she enjoys her duty as executioner there.”

            Luna’s hands flew to her face. “R-Rain, when y-you killed Zeman, you said..! No, it’s not true, it can’t be! Rain protected me! She’s not evil!”

            I smiled.

            _Do you remember, Crimson Dragon?_

            My smile curled up and up.

_Do you remember my promise to discover just how crimson your Signers could be?_

            The red glow of his presence washed over the dirt like a sea of blood. The Crimson Dragon whined and dipped his skull. _Rain. Rain, please. What you once were is not who you are. The Signers are your friends! Our duty is to protect them!_

            I picked up my saber, blew off some dust, and sheathed it. I folded my arms over my chest. _Crimson Dragon. You should really recall my stance on this. Humans are not worth protection. Humans deserve… extinction._

            He growled at me. My smile curled further. Roman said, “There she is. Bring the legendary Soul Reaper back to us! I restore you, Rain Orichalcum!”

            Roman snapped his fingers. Bright green light exploded from my feet, and memories flooded my brain. Intense pain arced through my skull and down my spine. The sheer agony squeezed a scream from me. The force of the light tossed my friends away from me, and when it dissipated, Roman caught me by my cape before I hit the ground. I couldn’t move or speak.

            Kalin stepped forward, and Roman drew me closer. “What the hell did you do to her?”

            “I’m afraid the return of her memory was too much for her to handle at once. She will be empty until she manages to recover. This is why I was trying to leak them back slowly, but _you_ ruined it.” Kalin was horrified, and Roman laughed in his face. “You don’t want her back, Kessler! Take the Signers to the crater. We’ll be waiting.”

            Kalin made a final lunge for me but Roman used the dark fire to take us away. Inside the crater, rainbow light scattered against layers of rock. Wires of spider silk shimmered with iridescence around us. Roman dropped me so my back was propped up and said, “Welcome to the reactor, monster.”

            Roman knelt to look at me. It sickened me to see his black Dark Signer eyes. He grabbed my right forearm, and the dark sign of the Giant flared through my makeshift bandage at his touch. “Now _this_ is unexpected. I suppose you regret this decision since you remember your true nature. Once your little Signers get here, we’ll prove who you are. Until then, enjoy your trip down memory lane.”

            The world around me faded into empty blackness like my dreams. My mind was racing through scenes and images. I remembered.

            I remembered everything.

            In a red flash, my eyes snapped open. The Crimson Dragon’s card was between my fingers. I shoved to my feet to find myself standing on a wide platform. I was at the far end of a metal bridge spanning a sea of forever shifting rainbow light. On the other end stood Yusei Fudo, the Signer bearing the Crimson Dragon’s tail mark. He was locked in a duel with Roman, who was posted up on the bridge’s central platform. His Earthbound Immortal, the Spider Uru, loomed above him. Its shadowy form was lined with a red vein-like pattern.

            “Ah, you’re awake,” said the Dark Signer. “Welcome back, ‘Hero!’”

            I palmed my bloodstained sword. “You’d better start running. It won’t get you anywhere, but I like the chase.”

            “Rain! Rain, I’m so glad you’re back,” Yusei said. Relief softened his features. “The clock above us is counting down to sunset. In twenty seconds, we would have lost the world, but now you can save it! The control unit is right next to you! All you have to do is place the Crimson Dragon’s card, and this will be over. The war can end.”

            I glanced back. Sure enough, Roman had left me next to the seal. A spider symbol was etched underneath a rectangular-shaped groove. The digital clock above Roman read twelve seconds. I held up my Crimson Dragon card and observed the gathered crowd behind Yusei. Akiza, Jack, Crow, Luna, Leo, Trudge, and Mina were also gathered. They were smiling and cheering.

            Eight seconds. I remembered the humans watching me die. They cheered in the same way at my gruesome death, which had occurred on their behalf.

            Four seconds. Yusei urged, “You just put it on the unit, and everything will be okay!”

            Three seconds. I reached for the seal.

            Two seconds. I let the Crimson Dragon card slip from my grasp.

            One second. The looks on their faces decayed into sheer disbelief mixed with misery.

            Zero.

            I couldn’t stop my smile. “Oops.”

            Roman laughed and laughed as the crater rumbled. “I warned you, Signers! Your Vessel of the Crimson Dragon is pure evil! Witness the rise of the King of the Underworld!”

            Violet light shot from below and scattered the dark clouds above. Left in its wake was a massive, four-legged being formed from black sludge standing above the crater. It sprouted wings and roared, its red eyes gleaming.

            Across the bridge, the children were screaming and crying. The others had fallen into utter despair. Yusei muttered, “Rain… how could you? You’re our friend. You’re…”

            “They still refuse to accept the truth!” Roman said. “I’ll offer you one last grace before your world is destroyed. I’ll _show_ you the Vessel’s heart!”

            “Uh, no.” I pointed the tip of my blade towards his chest. “I’ve planned out my last moments, and they involve you screaming until your own blood chokes you.”

            “Humph. Send her into the blackest depths of her heart, Uru!”

            One of the Spider’s many legs slammed into me lightning fast, pinning me against the bridge. More of my ribs broke under the intense pressure. Purple sparks arced along the Earthbound Immortal and shocked me to my core.

            The last thing I saw before I lost consciousness was the King of the Underworld lurching forward in the beginning of a march.


	22. Humanity, Within and Without

            My sword’s handle was slippery from sweat. I gripped it tighter and grabbed the boy’s collar with my other hand. He squealed like a pig. Growling beasts covered in golden fur surrounded us. They were human once, but their inner evil had changed them into those… things. They feared me but begged to eat the human’s flesh.

            “Back off. He’s mine.” The beasts retreated but watched my every move from the shadows. I dragged the boy over more bleached cobblestones then slammed him against the side of a building. The emerald Orichalcos infecting the structure glowed ruby by the fires burning the city.

            “Please, please Rain, please don’t hurt me! I’m sorry, I take it all back! If you let me go I’ll never touch you again, swear to Dartz! I’ll never hurt you, I’ll never- agh!” I sliced open his inner thigh. “Make it stop!”

            “Choose a finger,” I said.

            He glanced at his hands then back at me. “Nononono-”

            “…Fine. I’ll choose for you.” They were all removed, slowly and methodically. “Now tell me: which leg do you favor?”

            The fear on his face was replaced by a sudden rage. “You’re no different than how you’ve always been. Monster, _monster_ , mon-”

            He broke off into blood-curdling scream. I said, “The left it is. You can go now.”

            The boy clutched at his bloody stump and hobbled away. I followed at a slow pace. He eventually was forced into a crawl, but he reached the edge of Atlantis all the same. The raging waves crashed below him. In a broken voice, he asked, “Where can I go?”

            He turned at the sound of my footsteps and pinned me with a furious glare. I approached and said, “An Orichalcum never leaves her debts unpaid.”

            I shoved him into the water. I sat with my back to him, listening to the splashing of his flailing and his cries for help.

            A laugh escaped me. “At _last_.”

            The memory shattered. I was in the empty blackness again. Roman stood before me, chuckling. “They can all see you, monster! All your little friends see the truth now. You hate humanity. Your heart is dark. You only exist to satisfy your thirst for revenge. You’re no different from a Dark Signer, and you’ve doomed the world.”

            “Uru,” I growled. “Because of you, my Master..! You’ll pay for this. I’m going to kill you.”

            “ _I’ll kill you_!” I tore towards him but my hands were restrained. Handcuffs locked me to a steel structure. I pulled on them anyway, evoking the power of the Blue Flame. They held strong, and the skin of my wrists tore as I yanked harder. “I’ll kill you slowly, Uru! That memory you saw will be _nothing_ compared to what I do to you! _DIE_!”

            He kept laughing. “Oh? Don’t you know the clock is ticking away on the fate of this world? You could try to stop it, or is your revenge more important?”

            “I don’t give a shit! You trapped me for five thousand years. I spent that time picturing this moment over and over again, and _I always repay my debts_.”

            “So now you see her for who she is,” Roman said. A layer of reality peeled back, fading in the gathered group of humans behind him. Fear was cast upon their faces. “Your ‘friend,’ as you call her, is an evil murderer with no heart.”

            “This can’t be what you want, Rain,” Aki said, her eyes brimming with tears. “You’re better than this! Let’s hold onto hope!”

            “There is no hope,” I hissed, “not when it comes to humans. This is the fate you deserve. You’re all evil, and you should be wiped off the face of the planet! The dark gods will take better care of the world in the meantime!”

            Yusei Fudo gazed at me. He said, “I thought our bonds could overcome anything, including your past. I was… wrong. You don’t care. You’re just like a Dark Signer. No, worse. We’re… all going to die because of you.”

            I could feel the broiling of their fear and anger across the room. They phased out, leaving Roman and I alone in the darkness. I struggled against the cuffs, shouting, “I’ll break out of here and destroy you!”

            “I’m afraid not.” A grin slashed across his face. “You’re falling deeper into the depths of your own heart, where no one will be able to reach you. This will be good-by for all of us!”

            Cracks formed in the Dark Signer’s body, and he drifted away in a thousand tiny grains like sand caught in a desert wind. Fury blazed in me. “ _Goddammit_! You can’t run forever! I’ll find you, and I’ll-”

            “Stay still, Rain. I’m getting you out of here.”

            Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kalin fiddling with the handcuffs. The hood of his black-and-blue cloak was pulled over his face. I snarled, “Back off. I don’t need your help.”

            “You can complain all you want once you’re free.”

            “Why the hell would you do that? You should be spending your last moments groveling to whatever god you happen to believe in today.”

            “Yeah, well, I’d rather spend them right here.”

            My laugh was empty. “I’m a dangerous murderer, and I threw away the fate of the world just to see the hopelessness on their faces. You should be _running_.”

            His hands stopped. His hazel eyes shone like gold beneath the lip of his hood. “Rain. Whoever you used to be doesn’t make a difference to me. I know who you are. So what if you did bad things in your past? Join the club! What matters is who you are _now_. Whether that includes the old parts or not is up to you.”

            “…I showed who I am. I don’t care about anything or anyone. I just. Don’t. Care.”

            “I thought so, too. You reminded me I was more.”

            “That girl you met was fake. If you release me now, I’ll take my vengeance on Uru. It’s all I have left to want in this world.”

            “Whatever you do isn’t so important,” he said. “I just want you to be free.”

            Free. In my mind’s eye, I saw the Satellite. The girl I thought I was said she’d never had friends before. The truth turned out to be much worse. A ghost of this dark human’s voice found me.

            _“Look, the point is, you’re one of us now. We all care about you. And, whatever your memories say about you… I can’t speak for the other guys, but I happen to like you. So I’ll be by your side no matter what.”_

            He was… telling the truth?

            A _click_ sounded, and the handcuffs popped off of my wrists. I held my hands in front of me and observed the deep wounds I’d inflicted in my animalistic rage.

            “There,” Kalin said. “That’s better, isn’t it?”

            …No.

            I snarled, and my grip tightened on my torn wrist.

            He never told the truth.

            “Without my memories, I was some blank slate for you to make whatever you wanted of me. So you do and then – you completely abandon me. I’m not a blank slate anymore, but this criminal mark and these scars will mark me forever _because of you_. Why the hell should I believe a word you say?”

            Kalin rested on one knee, and he held my burning gaze without flinching. “Blank slate? Is that a joke? ‘Some blank slate’ probably would have listened to me on occasion in the Satellite and _not_ run into danger to, say, save a kidnapped kid. You likely would have let myself get arrested on my own, and, oh yeah: you definitely _would not_ have walked away when I asked you to side with me.

            “Look. I don’t care about you being angry with me. I’d be pretty surprised if you weren’t. But first of all, I won’t let anyone make light of you, least of all you. Second of all, I know I’m a liar. I know I messed up, but you’re being a goddamn hypocrite. The ‘I don’t care’ shtick is total bullshit. You care _too much_.”

            My breathing hitched. He lowered his head the slightest amount, and his eyes bore into mine. “You can’t hide anything from me, remember? You turned me down because you know right from wrong. So why’d you do this, Rain? Why’d you do what you knew was wrong?”

            “Why.” My hands dropped. A ruby-red bead of blood dripped from where I had squeezed the wound on my wrist. “If it’s the truth you want, I will show you.”

            Blue fire spurted to my right. Kalin shot to his feet. Left behind was a young girl with brown skin and hair. Her golden eyes stared into the distance. Kalin asked, “Who’s that?”

            “These are pieces of my memories,” I explained. “That is me as a child.”

            He grasped his own chin. “But she-”

            “I’m supposed to look like that now, but I made a dire mistake. Like you so aptly stated: I cared too much.” The fire returned, twisting to form a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. A spear pierced the scales beneath its wing. “Five thousand years ago, monsters and humans shared the world. Every monster you see on a card is a real being. My city saw monsters as dangerous creatures to be hunted. My cursed human empathy took pity on the Blue-Eyes, and I saved it when it was sentenced to death. In return, it evolved and gave me a… ‘gift.’”

            The dragon disappeared in a blinding flash of light. My younger self changed into the looks of my current self: white hair and skin with blue eyes. I muttered, “My father was not pleased by my choice.”

            A pillar of blue fire brought forth the form of Dartz Orichalcum, King of Atlantis. His dark skin and golden eyes matched how I used to look. The child cowered before him as he shouted, “Do you know where your name comes from? The Atlantian rains are unpredictable and catastrophic. You were an unplanned mistake, and you will never cease to be my one regret. _You are outcast_!”

            Dartz was swept away, and Kalin watched with wide eyes. “Your own dad said that to you? That’s- messed up!”

            “You dare to interrupt with worthless pity?” I growled. His mouth snapped shut, and his hazel eyes thinned. How oddly patient of him to restrain his retort. He’s trying hard on my behalf. “There are two rules to being an outcast. One: outcasts are not to be acknowledged whatsoever, lest one risk also being outcast. Two: rule one can be ignored if the interaction is for the sake of violence. My best friends were swift in taking up rule two.”

            The younger me was cornered by two boys, one with hair dyed red and the other with hair dyed blue. A smaller girl with pinned-up hair watched from the distance with a grin. The kid raised his fist and said, “Monsters like you aren’t supposed to exist.”

            After the first punch, the scene disintegrated into a sprinkling of blue sparks. I said, “They were my best friends. The instant I was outcast, they were the first to hunt me down. For years, I was struggling to survive, and their hobby was to make that as difficult as possible.”

            The azure cinders floated above my palm. I peered at them and said, “Friendship is just a pretty word. It was only a matter of time before I decided I’d had enough.”

            The blue fire swept into the form of a young girl in front of the other Rain. She grabbed past Rain’s arms and shouted, “My da turned into one of those beasts! He’s trying to kill me! I know you have those crazy powers, and you carry around a sword. You have to help!”

            Orichalcos glowed green from former Rain’ necklace. Her hands balled into fists at her sides, and she spoke through clenched teeth: “I _have_ to help? _I_ have to help _you_? What gives _you_ the right to my help?”

            “Because you can!” she shouted. “Or else I’ll die!”

            The Orichalcos pendant former Rain wore shattered into a thousand green shards. An unnervingly wide smile stretched her face. “…Oh, of course. I’ll help how only a monster can.”

            The Blue Flame surrounded her hand. Fast as lightning she drew her Orichalcos saber and sliced upward. With a spurt of blood, the young girl’s right arm fell to the ground. Her mouth hung open as she observed her own detached limb. A shriek tore from her, and the two figures dissipated.

            I leaned back on my palms, stared into the infinite blackness above, and laughed a little. “It’s funny. I never had a temper when I was a kid. It hasn’t gone away since the day I lost it. Whenever a human asked me for help, I did the opposite. My kill count reached one hundred and seventy eight that way.

            “You asked why I threw away the world. What did I see earlier other than more humans begging for help? I guess I must’ve lost my temper again.”

            Kalin crossed his arms and peered down at me. Moments of silence stretched on as his eyes searched mine. Finally, he said, “Huh. Makes sense.”

            “ _That’s_ all you have to say? It _makes sense_?”

            “Did you forget who you’re talking to?” He plopped down beside me like it was natural, like I didn’t have so much blood on my hands. “That explosion at the Sector Security headquarters wasn’t just for show. I injured _a lot_ of officers that night. Didn’t give a shit. Oh, and… the night you gave yourself up for me, when we all got separated, Yusei and I were still together. A Security riding a duel runner cornered us. He tried to run over Yusei, so I tackled him and he lost control of his runner. We both crashed, and he didn’t make it. I had that feeling, though. The feeling he got what he deserved even though he was dead. Funny how things work out. Now I’m the one who’s come closest to killing Yusei.”

            “Oh, please,” I said under my breath. “Don’t act like we’re similar. My killing had purpose and direction. I know for a fact the world would be better off without your species. I was reaping souls to use their energy in powering an engine that would erase humanity.”

            He faked an intense thinking expression. “Huh. Huh! You know, that sounds a lot like something else I’ve heard before. Hm. What could it be? Oh! It’s just like the Earthbound Immortals and their sacrifices! Crazy how similar that is!”

            I growled, “You are goddamned pestilent.”

            He grinned, saying, “Hey, thanks. Look – seriously, you’re being a teensy bit narrow-minded on this, and that was supposed to be _my_ thing. Is that why you didn’t leave? That’s the only part of your story that didn’t make sense to me. If your former friends were hunting you down every day, the obvious solution is to leave town.”

            My heart clenched. “I-i-it’s not that simple.”

            “What, your town was like the Satellite – no way out?”

            “N-no, I could have.”

            “Then I don’t get it,” he said with a shrug. “It’s not like you’re an idiot. It must’ve occurred to you. Unless you’re not telling the whole truth.”

            The side-eye he tossed me suggested he was trying to reach this point all along. He knew there was more to it in that infuriating way he always managed to figure things out. Well. “You’re wrong this time. There’s _nothing_.”

            “Oh, really? Because I know you. You’re bullshitting. You cared about something, Rain. What was it?”

            “I- I don’t- th-there’s nothing, I swear,” I said, but my voice was quieter with every word. Undeniable warmth was sprouting in my heart.

            A cold wind swept through the dark pit, carrying gold, crimson, and brown leaves. The _crunch_ of them underfoot caught my attention. It was another me from a memory, but this particular reminiscence was different. A scene of the leaves and tall, white trees with black markings like scars replaced the empty darkness. A male, singsong voice echoed, _“Um, hell-ooo. You in there?”_

            I was still walking through the forest. The voice yelled, _“Hey, Rain!”_

            I snapped to attention. A boy a few years older than me materialized from the blue fires. His amber eyes, dark skin, and brown hair matched the way I used to look. He flashed his usual, blinding grin and said, “There you are! I thought you forgot about me.”

            “I could never, Ranue,” I said under my breath, and the wind carried the words away.

            “What was that? Couldn’t hear you.” I didn’t answer him and stared at my toes instead. He sighed and set his hands on his hips. “You know you can speak up out here, right? We’re nowhere near Atlantis. Oh, and you should try looking somewhere other than the ground. Have you seen the trees lately?”

            I lifted my head to the sky and gasped. The blackness shattered. Sunlight poured through branches of red leaves. Gaps of bright blue marked the clear sky. In the distance, waves washed against the sandy shore. I tucked a lock of white hair behind my ear and tasted sea salt on the breeze.

            “Beautiful, right?” I turned back to Ranue, and his smile upturned his eyes. He said, “You don’t have to block it _all_ out. If you do, you’ll make yourself more miserable. Er, if anything, it’s better for your neck to not be bent down all the time!”

            When making his last point, Ranue lifted a finger and spread his grin the slightest bit wider. I offered a weary smile. “Right. Sorry. You… shouldn’t have to repeat this to me every week.”

            “Stop it with that! No apologizing, Rain. I’m helping you because I care for you. You know that, right? It’s what family’s all about.”

            My hitch of a laugh was insincere. I sat with my feet facing the ocean and clasped my hands between my legs. “Ma and da didn’t show as much.”

            “You have the wrong idea.” Ranue crouched next to me. The wind disturbed his turquoise lab coat and pushed locks of his long, brown hair into his face. His golden eyes shone like I’d almost made him cry. My heart panged in response. “Family doesn’t mean we share blood. That’s just an extra. Family means we’re there for each other no matter what. It’s as simple as that, Rain. I’m by your side to the end, and that means you’re family.”

            My mouth twitched down. I was being a cynical jerk, as usual, and he was spending his time trying to make me feel better.

            And he didn’t even think it was a waste of time.

            “W-well, I-” I gulped in a sad attempt to erase the shaking in my voice.

            “You know the rule,” Ranue said. His expression was soft. “If you have to cry, go ahead and let it out.”

            “I- I don’t-” I started, but tears were streaming down my cheeks. He kept a reassuring hand on my back. He was silent and patient until the last of my sniffles died out. I said, “Y-you never stopped being family to me. You’re the best brother of all time.”

            “What? No way!” He hopped up with his same old grin. “Does that win me an award? I’ll have to frame it. It can go right above the fireplace. Then when people ask me about it since I’m not supposed to have any siblings what with you being outcast, I’ll just have to tell them about my sister, the greatest duelist in the city.”

            The pride he gifted me swelled my heart and smile. Ranue said, “So, where is it?”

            “Where’s what?”

            “The plaque!”

            “Oh, my stars, shut up about it!”

            But I was laughing, and he was, too. Ranue crumbled into blue ashes and faded like the other memories. The sky, forest, and sea didn’t leave with him. When I walked along, I could _feel_ the dirt between my toes as though the memory had happened yesterday instead of centuries ago.

            “This is more like what I’d imagined it would be.”

            Kalin’s voice startled me. He was standing on the beach, and the sea breeze unsettled his cloak. I said, “Imagined what to be?”

            “Your heart.”

            I snorted. “That has to be the cheesiest thing I’ve ever heard. This is likely some prison Uru created so I can’t rip his guts out.”

            “M…hm,” Kalin said. “So, I have to ask. What was your plan back then? To kill everybody except for that guy?”

            “Huh? No. I… I really relied on Ranue. He had one bad day and yelled at me because he wasn’t his normal self. He was under the Orichalcos’s influence, which changes people to be the worse versions of themselves because it feeds off negative emotions. I didn’t know that when it happened. I thought I had lost the one person who cared for me.”

            Kalin’s expression was neutral. “Right, right. Hey, so, we probably don’t have much time left what with the end of the world and all. I know _you_ , but I was kinda hoping I’d get to a chance to, like, get to know you better. What’re some things you like to do?”

            I didn’t see what that had to do with what he asked me earlier, but if that’s how he wanted to spend his last moments… I said, “I… I like gardening. I like watching the flowers grow and bloom, and I like dancing, as in the formal way with a nice rhythm. I like dueling, but not really in the sense of beating someone else as much as I like learning and spending time playing a card game with people I care about. I… pretty much expect to lose most times, anyway. I like playing the piano. I like sewing, too, though I’m not very good at that, either. I enjoy those things, though. I do.”

            “Ahh, I knew it!” Kalin exclaimed. He had a wide grin. “See, if you were a real weirdo, you totally would’ve said something like ‘murder’ or ‘death.’”

            I choked on a laugh I tried to hide. I really should have said that. Kalin went on: “You’re not, though. It makes complete sense to think everyone is shitty when you’ve only met shitty people, and the one person who wasn’t betrayed you. Nah, you’re just a normal person who’s been put through some terrible things.

            “The only thing you lost was your temper, like you said. This is something you made me realize about myself. I screwed up, too, but I’m still the guy who put everything into saving the Satellite. I’m still Kalin _god_ damn Kessler. You’re still the same Rain you were an hour ago when you beat me in a life-or-death duel to save me. We are more than what they made of us. No one can take away who you are at your core. Er, not that it makes what we did any better. But it does mean we don’t have to let it own us.”

            “Own me,” I said, the words riding on my exhale. “I… I don’t. It’s just who I became.”

            “So, you’d rather go around killing people and ending the world for fun?” he asked. “Because I don’t buy Uru’s bullshit for one second on that. I see you dancing in your garden, kicking ass in duels, and making dresses in your downtime.”

            “B-but…” A lump built in my throat. “E-even if that’s who I wanted to be, if everything goes wrong in the worst way over and over again with me at the center of it, doesn’t that mean _that’s_ who I am at my core? If this is what’ll always happen as long as I’m around, there’s no point in going back. I should… I should have stayed dead…”

            Kalin’s determination collapsed. He sighed. “I… feel the same way. God only knows why I came back. I ruin everything I touch! But, Rain, _you_ … make me so happy I’m able to stay. It’s like back in the Satellite. The island was a disgusting trash heap, and the sky was darker and darker the farther in you went just because of the smog in the air. You didn’t see any of that. You looked to the sunset on the water, and you said it was beautiful your first day in the Satellite. I was always so focused on what was wrong… same with myself, and same with what I thought the guys did – but you showed me what was _right_.

            “You’re not some mistake at your core. When you didn’t have memories, your first thought was always to help whoever was in need no matter the cost to yourself. You’re not someone the world should get rid of. You’re someone the world needs more of.”

            “E-even after all I’ve done, that’s still what you see in me?”

            Kalin laughed like it was nothing and sat down beside me like it was natural. He tapped his temple and said, “Of course I do, partner. I know my Rain.”

            I couldn’t breathe.

            Partner. He’d called me his partner despite the burden on my back, despite all the blood on my hands, despite the world I’d ruined.

            “Y-you shouldn’t say that. I became everything we both hated. I’m… I’m the real traitor. That’s why the Crimson Dragon isn’t here anymore. He knows I… I’m really evil, and he shouldn’t have resurrected me. I was just a liability to the real heroes the whole time. I should’ve stayed dead.”

            Kalin flopped his hand in the air. “Come _on_ , Rain. We don’t deserve to live, sure, but that doesn’t mean we lie down and die. It means we earn back our right to exist.”

            “How can that be possible? I- I betrayed my friends, the only people who cared for me and stood up for me no matter what. I can’t believe I… was dumb enough to think they were like my old ‘friends.’ I can’t go back and face them knowing I…”

            I bit my lip. Kalin scanned my face. I stared at my own bare feet. He whispered, “Then could you do it for me?”

            My eyes widened. “W-what?”

            He hopped to his feet and held a hand out to me. “We’re partners to the bitter end. We don’t belong with the good guys, sure, but… I still feel like I belong with you. I didn’t want to live, either. I’m sticking around for your sake. What I did haunts me every second, but I won’t let that stop me from staying with you. We can do anything together, _anything_ , and this is no exception.

            “So. Think you could do the same for me, partner? Would you live? Could you live with me?”

            Partner?

            It made no sense. I mean, I was pretty much a piece of breathing garbage, and sometimes I even failed at the breathing part. Who in the living hell would want to be a partner with someone like me?

            Kalin said he saw someone who could find beauty anywhere, someone selfless, someone who could change the world for the better. He didn’t just say that; he died for me believing that. He… he really thought that highly of me. Unbelievable. It’s as though, the way he saw it, everything I wanted to be was who I already was.

            But what if he was right?

            “Can I ask you a question first?” I asked. He nodded. “What do you think love is?”

            Kalin blinked several times. “Like, a definition?”

            “Yeah.”

            “Uh. It’s, like, you want to give them everything. Every single moment, every word, every wish, every dream. I want you to have _everything_ , and it’s all I want.”

            My heartstrings pricked. A chill crawled over my skin. Giving. It was giving, not taking. Of course that had to be another of _his_ lies. But _he_ wasn’t holding me back anymore. _He_ was in my past, and I had-

            The Blue Flame sparked in my palm. I formed and shaped the fire into an outline, and fire filled it then crystallized. I held my creation, a bright blue tulip, out to Kalin.

            -a future.

            Kalin accepted the gift with intrigue. “You made this from your cool fire? But it’s, like, crystal! Jesus, this is amazing. It’s the color of your eyes, too.”

            He gazed at me, and I wondered if he could tell my heart was bursting. A single tear traveled down my cheek. He wiped it away. He said, “This is another thing you taught me. At first, I thought it was super weird how you barely talked. Then you showed me there’s so much more to speaking than words.

            “So, for this, I want to say…” He observed the tulip and spun it between his fingers. He leaned down and kissed my temple, right beneath where I wore his headband. “I love you, too.”

            Heat flushed my face. I clasped my hands together and said, “I- I didn’t know you were into older women.”

            He broke into a fit of laughter. It made me so happy to hear. He set a hand on my head and said, “You’re just the best. Er, that’s not true, though, right?”

            I swatted his hand away. “Of course it’s not, you dummy!”

            Kalin laughed again. “You never really answered me earlier. You staying, or what?”

            Staying? Oh, that’s right. Living. Funny. The last time I loved, _he_ stole my will to live. But, my partner… I jumped to my feet and held my head high. “We’ll make our own grace.”

            Kalin had that smug smile, the one he wore the day we met. “You know what’s crazy? If you told me so ten minutes ago, I never would have believed you. Now, though- damn. We really are partners in everything.”

            I crossed my arms. “Villains like us have to stick together.”

            “Riiight.” He laughed and cupped his forehead. “You’re no villain, princess.”

            “Oh?” I smirked. “You know, I actually was a princess.”

            “Ah, shit, really?” Kalin watched my spreading, sweet smile with interest. He threw his hands up. “The whole ‘end of the world’ really is a shame. I’d have liked to spend more time with you.”

            “Your world won’t end today, partner. Even the deepest wounds can be mended. Here, I’ll prove it.”

            I reached forward, and my fingers brushed the tulip in his hand. Crystal melted into fire, which surrounded my hand. I covered the nasty wound on his abdomen. The Blue Flame dissipated, and flawless skin was left in its place.

            “Holy shit, you really do have superhero powers!” He ran a hand over the repaired muscles. “Shouldn’t you be, like, using this on yourself?”

            I observed my right forearm, where my first wound of the day was hidden beneath a torn strip of Kalin’s shirt. “It works in a funny way. I can only heal people I feel kindness towards, so… I haven’t been able to use it on anyone in years.”

            “Aw, are you just trying to make me feel special?”

            He snickered at my flustered look. I muttered, “One in a million. No. That is an insult.”

            “Same to you. What do you say we blow this joint? It’s pretty lame.”

            “Hey!” I pouted. “Roman said this is supposed to be my heart!”

            “No wonder it’s so roomy.”

            “…You’re so goddamned cheesy.”

            “So’s the heart bullshit. Not sure if you noticed, but Roman’s not the most trustworthy guy.” Kalin tapped his temple. “This is probably another one of his traps.”

            “Trap..? Okay. I know who can help.” I stared at my left arm. In a flash of green light, my duel disk appeared.

            “Where’d that come from?”

            I touched the top of my head. “Orichalcos chip in my brain. Same way my runner can locate me. Surgery hurt like hell. Not as much as the criminal mark, though.”

            “Chip,” he muttered. He held up his two hands as though they were weighing scales. “You said you were from the past, though?”

            “Is the past all cavemen and rocks to you?”

            “You use a _sword_.”

            I pursed my lips. “You ask too many questions.”

            “You really aren’t any different,” he said with a laugh. I smiled with him and tossed a particular card onto my disk.

            Grand wings of light exploded from my back. Sand and leaves soared in the billows from the dragon’s wings. Light shone from my form, and Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon was born from the azure flames of my soul.

            I bowed and thoughtspoke, _Nice to see you again, Master._

            He alighted in front of me. _I apologize for not speaking until today. Protecting you from the Zero Reverse stole my consciousness for longer than I care to admit. What can I do for you, young dragon?_

_I seem to be caught in a trap. Shining Diffusion should suffice._

            The sapphires along Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon’s body glowed white. _Indeed. I can free you whenever you are ready._

            I turned to Kalin. “Ready to live?”

            “With you,” he said, “always.”

            Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon spread its wings, disturbing my and my partner’s cloaks. He soared ever higher, and the dragon’s light shone brighter with the increasing altitude. His shine reached its heavenly apex, and his hopeful roar shattered the vision.


	23. The World's Beginning

            My eyes fluttered open. I coughed from the pain in my ribs. My sight came into focus slowly. I became aware of the black sky ringed by the crater’s edge. The dark sign of the Spider glowed against the clouds. Next, I realized warmth was shared with me from…

            Kalin cradled me in his arms. The tear in his abdomen was fixed, and my wrists still bled where I’d torn them. The open handcuffs lay nearby. They appeared to have been used to lock me to the metal railing. So the vision was real?

            “Welcome back,” he whispered. His small smile and the steady support of his arms provided a comfort I never imagined could exist. I threw my arms around his neck and nuzzled into his shoulder. The many pains from my movement were nothing compared to the extreme giddiness I felt within. I was alive, I could exist, and here, here I belonged.

            Sheer exhilaration lightened my heart. I belonged! “I’m s-so happy to be here.”

            “Such a _scary_ monster,” he joked, and I laughed. Kalin helped me to my feet. We stood on a metal bridge spanning a sea of forever shifting rainbow light. Roman was at the bridge’s center and Yusei was at the far end. Earthbound Immortal Uru stared down Yusei’s Stardust Dragon. The crater rumbled around us whenever the King of the Underworld above took a step.

            “This can’t be happening!” Fear tinged Roman’s voice. “The darkness of your heart was far too deep for anyone to dive! How could Kessler have matched it?”

            “Looks like you made a dire mistake,” Yusei said. “There are bonds in darkness just as there are in light. You underestimated the bond Kalin and Rain share!”

            Roman glowered at the Signer. “You seem attached to that word, Fudo. Have you realized yet that your bond with this monster is what will cause the destruction of the world?”

            “That wasn’t Rain!” Luna shouted. “You tricked her with your scary spider stuff like you did when she was dueling Misty!”

            “She betrayed you of her own volition, fool. The Crimson Dragon’s Vessel has the same protections as you Signers against my power.”

            Luna muttered, “You must… be lying..!”

            “He speaks the truth,” I said. “I’m a traitor and a villain. I wanted to see you in pain, and I wanted you to die. I am not your friend.”

            “I know that isn’t who you really are,” Aki said. “Your instinct was to save me, and to show me kindness!”

            “…Instinct?” I murmured.

            “I’m the same way,” she said. “Causing pain and being a monster was learned. Their influence persists, but we can overcome it.”

            “You… really think so?”

            “I know so,” she assured. “We’re all a family, a real one. We support each other through everything, like Yusei did to me when I treated him like my enemy.”

            “What your maniac of a boyfriend said was correct,” Jack added. “Whether our road takes many twists and turns is irrelevant. The important point is where it takes us in the end.”

            Kalin snickered. “Speaking from experience, pretty boy?”

            “As much as you were,” Jack grumbled. “Neither of you used the noblest of methods to accomplish what you set out to. I’m the same way. Regardless, us three place our efforts towards the sake of saving the world at the end of our paths.”

            My teammates inspired my smile, as always. “Yes, and this villain will correct her mistake. The big blob up there will be but rust upon my blade, this I swear. Oh, and I never break my promises. _Never._ ”

            “You think you can make any difference?” Roman shouted. “I have your memories. I’ve seen every dark secret! How could you ignore the greatest truth within you? You are worthless and powerless. You are nothing but an accessory, an item to be owned, used, and tossed out!”

            The memories he referenced flashed behind my eyes. I tried to breathe but couldn’t find the air. My palms and knees slammed against the bridge. The oxygen I tried to swallow wouldn’t stay so I kept on with the sharp intakes of breath but nothing would stay and where did the air go and black surrounded my vision-

            A gloved hand held mine. “Hey, listen to me. You have to breathe slowly. Slow, okay? In, out.”

            Kalin repeated the words. I followed his instructions and forced myself to drink in long, steady breaths. Eventually I regained control. My vision was restored. I focused on the crater’s iridescence reflected in my partner’s hazel eyes. “I’m okay now. Th-thanks.”

            “What happened?” he whispered while squeezing my hand.

            “Th-there are some m-memories, when I think about them too much, that happens.”

            “That’s serious,” he said. “You were hardcore hyperventilating, and you almost passed out.”

            Roman chuckled. “You see? You are no hero, and the fate of the world will not change. You are but a damaged _doll_.”

            Every muscle in my body tensed. Breathing again became a struggle. Kalin took my hand in both of his and held tight. “Stay with me, okay? Focus on the now. You aren’t worthless or damaged, and you proved it yourself. You beat _three_ Dark Signers today. Not sure why you’d give Roman the time of day when you obviously kick serious ass.”

            I muttered, “Y-you really think so?”

            Kalin sighed and shook his head. “You still haven’t dropped the catchphrase, huh. _Yes_. Yes, Rain. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have said it.”

            My thoughts sharpened. I shot to my feet, and my partner joined me. “I don’t have to do anything, because Yusei will win and send you to the depths of hell where you belong.”

            “Feh! Please,” Roman said. “So long as the Crimson Dragon stands opposite him, he is powerless. You cannot touch the King of the Underworld as long as an Earthbound Immortal remains undefeated. Your Signer is first doomed, and the world follows soon after.”

            Yusei held his head high. “Rain stands with us. As you saw in your ‘trap,’ we’ve always been friends to her, and she’s the same to us. It’s like what you said yourself while dueling Misty, Rain: one mistake shouldn’t doom you. We believe that, too, all of us! We forgive you!”

            I touched the Orichalcos pendant at my neck. “I understand, but it is not what I deserve. You’re the heroes. That means you reign victorious over the infinity of missteps made by people like me.”

            Kalin lightly bopped my head. “Don’t be so dramatic. We still support them.”

            “Hey, I was getting there! Look, we can’t stand with the heroes. We’ll never be in the light, but we’ll always be in the shadows by your side!”

            Roman laughed. “Your hope is quite the effort in futility. Say, Rain, do you know what allowed me to take hold of this host? It was his fear of you. I managed to groom the doubt in him planted by the Crimson Dragon’s choice of a vessel. Once he drowned in it, I took full control and caused this reactor to explode! Do you know why? It was because I wanted the blast to kill you. Roman’s loss of life and the Zero Reverse are your fault, Rain. Thousands of deaths, the horrid nature of the Satellite, and the hatred between the Satellite and the City can all be traced back to you.”

            “…Me?” Blood roared in my ears. My teammates could have had ordinary lives and families. My partner could have always felt free. Unity would be the norm. Instead, because I existed-                 

            “Good thing it worked out this way,” Kalin whispered. He slung his arm around my shoulders. “It means I was able to meet you.”

            “H-how could you say that? Your parents, Yusei’s, Crow’s, Jack’s-”

            “Were killed by that asshole over there,” Kalin said, firing a murderous glare at Roman. “Good thing Yusei’s about to win this duel and send him packing like you said.”

            “B-but, because of me- the Satellite, all of that pain and hatred-”

            “You know, someone once told me the Satellite was a beautiful place,” Kalin retorted. “And, hey, she convinced me.”

            “Can’t say I missed the atmosphere,” Jack added, “but I did start to miss the people.”

            “You… how could you?” Crow shouted at Roman. “Because of you, all those kids..! Yusei, you have to finish this guy like Kalin said! If he really created the Satellite, he has to go down!”

            “Me? It was the murderer you call a friend!”

            Yusei’s fists were clenched, and his tears sparkled by iridescent light. “You act like what you did was nothing. Not only that, but you use it to try to hurt my friend. Don’t you realize what you caused? Every single person in the Satellite has suffered unimaginable pain for years because of what you did. What do you have to say for yourself?”

            “You’re fooling yourself once again, Fudo. The monster behind me is the source of your suffering.”

            Yusei shouted, “Those two ‘villains’ are the ones who made the Satellite worth living in!”

            His words touched my heart, and the crimson spark ignited. Four signs spilled red light onto the walls of the crater. The Crimson Dragon emerged, and his roar quaked each soul present.

            “He’s free?” Fear twisted Roman’s features. “No, no! Why would you remain tied with a monster who would throw away the fate of the world?”

            “Dragon?” The crimson spark was no longer an alarm; the pumping of my heart soothed me. “You…stayed?”

            The Crimson Dragon said, _I have known her true nature all along. When I was dying in the first Signer War, I sought her aid. She did not join me to save the world but to save me from my suffering because of her selflessness. My Vessel is a hero. In the past days, she risked her personal safety for that of our Signers. She has walked away from her desires for the sake of what is just. I have seen her overcome death for the sake of those she loves. This is and always has been the nature of the young dragon._

            I gazed at the Crimson Dragon. “You didn’t think I was a… liability?”

            His massive head swung down, and a pair of glowing, yellow eyes peered down the length of his snout. _You never were, Rain Orichalcum._

            “‘My true nature,’” I repeated. “Could it really be..? Hey, Kalin?”

            “What’s up?”

            He was not surprised by the Crimson Dragon’s appearance. At all. No, of course he wasn’t. His belief in me extended far beyond every possibility. My shoulders rolled back. “You said we could create a world where anyone could be whatever they wanted. Do you still believe it’s possible?”

            He gave me a once-over. “I’d say I do.”

            I ran my fingers along the edge of my Knight’s cape. “Your dream is my duty, leader. I don’t think I’m quite satisfied yet.”

            Kalin grinned. “Then let’s get to it, princess.”

            “None of this changes the facts,” Roman spat. “She’s a monster, a murderer, a villain! The world will end by her hand!”

            I said, “I once thought this world a breeding ground for evil. Now, though…”

            The sky above was dark, and the King of the Underworld’s presence oozed dread. The hopelessness could not touch the light within me, one gifted by my partner and empowered by my crimson threads. My gaze fell and sharpened on Roman.

            “I have seen two Satellites defy odds and reign as King. I have seen a psychic rise above a sea of scorn I was unable to overcome. I have seen a weak soul strengthen for the sake of others. The Crimson Dragon was right to choose humans. We can build a new world, one where Satellites, psychics, and outcasts can have freedom and solace anywhere. We’ll change the world into one where even a couple of villains have the chance to become heroes. My friends showed me that my identity is not what others made of me; it is _my choice_! The same goes for the world!

            “No, this world is not ending. This world is just beginning!”

            The Crimson Dragon roared, and blue fire blazed along his wings. _Your shining hope is giving me incredible power!_

_The other dragon with me must have taken a liking to you if he’s sharing the Blue Flame._

_I can see why Uru tried so desperately to drown your belief and keep us apart, young dragon. Your resolve of hope can strengthen us and our Signers!_

            Crimson shone from Yusei’s deck, and he grinned at the draw. “I summon Majestic Dragon and use the effect of Stardust Xiaolong in my grave, special summoning it to the field. The three tune together to Synchro Summon Majestic Star Dragon!”

            A shinier, four-winged dragon formed from the old Stardust Dragon. Its light was near blinding, and its azure accents glowed like the Blue Flame. Yusei shouted, “Majestic Star Dragon is the culmination of our bonds as a team. You tried to use my friends as weapons against me, but instead they turned their past into my weapon against you! Majestic Star Dragon’s effect activates, cancelling out your Earthbound Immortal’s ability. Now I can target it. Show him our new world, Majestic Star Dragon! Attack with Shooting Blaster Sonic!”

            Majestic Star Dragon shattered Uru into scurrying shadows. Roman recoiled, and his life hit zero. The group on the other side of the bridge cheered. I high-fived my partner, which he immediately met. “That was so cool!”

            “Hell yeah!” Kalin said. “He can always pull a turnaround win like that. Yusei’s, like, the third best duelist of all time.”

            “…God, you have such an ego.”

            “To be honest, I blame you for it.”

            I rolled my eyes. “Give me a minute. I need to thank the guy who lost to the best duelist of all time.”

            I broke away from Kalin and approached the Dark Signer. The Crimson Dragon coiled around us. Uru warned, “Stay back!”

            I held up my palms. “I would like to speak to Roman.”

            “That pathetic host is gone because of you! If you want your revenge, now’s your chance.”

            “…I desire nothing of the sort. I learned my lesson. Vengeance leaves you with nothing but emptiness. And, hey, I did try to warn you, Kalin.”

            He was leaned against the railing far behind me. “I’m not the best listener.”

            Uru growled, “What happened to you? You would leap at the opportunity to cause pain! Goddammit, Kessler! You ruined everything!”

            “One of my many skills.”

            Uru pulled himself to his feet and lurched towards me. “I won’t let this end easily, monster! You’re coming with me!”

            “This is already over. You lost! Just let me thank Roman for saving me,” I said. A maniacal grin was plastered on his face. He threw off his duel disk, revealing a metal arm. “What the hell-”

            Roman ripped out the inner workings of the arm, causing a huge explosion and destroying the bridge under us. Light burned the back of my eyes and pain flared throughout my body. Black smoke covered me, but I could tell that I was falling. The smoke cleared to show the rainbow lights I had seen earlier swiftly approaching me… or I was approaching them.

            I turned my body in midair to see the Dragon plowing through the smoke, racing downwards in a desperate attempt to catch me. My friends called out my name and the world seemed to slow. The iridescence swallowed me, and I fell into the depths of hell.

            Time passed. The dark slithered on and on. I wondered if I had returned to the punishment the Crimson Dragon freed me from. I couldn’t quite believe I deserved any better.

            Light shattered the darkness underneath. My velocity broke, and I floated above the tear. I thought, _I’ve been here before._

The Crimson Dragon’s gruff voice echoed in my thoughts. _This is where we first found each other._

_The edge of death? Oh, great. That means I’m dead. Again._

_No, young dragon. It means we are at the eve of redemption._ A figure appeared in the dark: Roman. His eyes lacked the black sclera, so I knew it was the old him – the one the Dragon called his friend.

            “Roman, we can finally speak! I wanted to thank you for freeing me.”

            “An honor to meet you, Knight.” He kept a few feet of space between us. “I did not expect you to be so comforting when we first met. I’ve made many mistakes. I’m sorry you’ve been left to fix them.”

            “It’s whatever. Everyone makes mistakes! Don’t I know it. Uh, but which ones were you talking about specifically?”

            “Allow me to explain. When I was chosen, the Crimson Dragon led me to you. You were trapped in the Orichalcos crystal Uru created during the first Signer War. The Dragon had hidden and protected you all that time. The Dragon told me he couldn’t free you alone, and he explained how I could. I made cracks in the crystal but couldn’t fully break it. By the time the Orichalcos shattered, I belonged to Uru. Your first sight when you awoke was the Ener-D explosion… the one I caused.

            “You couldn’t avoid it, and the Crimson Dragon wasn’t there to protect you. Somehow, you survived, but the blast took away your memories. The Crimson Dragon knew he would also lose your past when he rejoined you, so he entrusted your memories to me. Uru tried to use that against you, but your bond in darkness, as Fudo called it, proved superior.

            “To be honest, I’m surprised. When the Dragon told me everything about you, I was afraid to meet you. The person you are now seems completely different from…”

            “The monster?” I offered. “The humans – er, people I’ve met in the Satellite and the City have changed my opinion. At first, I thought the Dragon was an idiot for choosing humans. Now I know he couldn’t have picked better. Our impossible hope can overcome anything! Which reminds me. I can’t burn any more time. I have to fix what I did, and I will.”

            “Rain, before you go back, you need to know about my brother. He plans to do something drastic, try to change things. He betrayed my trust and broke my promise. I know you have a good history with fulfilling last wishes, so here is mine: please stop him. He doesn’t know what he’s getting into. No matter what he says, what he’s offering or trying, you have to trust me. Please, I’m begging you-”

            I bent down on one knee. “You have my oath, the word of a Knight: it will be done.”

            “Ha… Please, stand. I believe you. Now, one last question. It’s about your dark mark.” I brought up my arm, where the purple mark of the Giant appeared and shone through my red bandage. “Why would you take it from Kessler? The spirits attached are extremely dangerous.”

            I blushed and covered the mark with my other hand. “I, uh, I know. But. But this one wasn’t a mistake.”

            He chuckled. “You are _very_ different. Rain, I pray you’ll stop Rex without struggle. Oh, and tell him- tell him I’m waiting for him.”

            “Thank you. Good-by, Roman.” The crack of light beneath me widened and sucked me in. The sensation caused me to wake up with a start. I sat on the edge of the Daedalus Bridge, the unfinished structure reaching towards New Domino City. “What’s happening now?”

            _The Stairway to the Dragon Star has risen again, along with the Condor,_ the Crimson Dragon said. Across the ocean, the ancient temple pierced the dark sky where Godwin’s mansion once stood. A glyph displaying a bird in upwards flight was shining on the Stairway’s face.

            “Ah, boy. It’s always something in this world, isn’t it?”

_There you may correct Rex’s mistake. Once he has fallen, you may battle the King of the Underworld to correct your own mistake._ The murky beast was trudging through the water separating the Satellite from the City.

            “…Sorry I let you down.”

_I do not expect you to be perfect, young dragon. You will make it right. The King will be vulnerable once the one beckoning him is gone. You may slay him then, as you have the Earthbound Immortals._

“One last Dark Signer, huh. No big deal. The Condor, then?”

_That’s right._

            Waves crashed below me. “How can I cross an ocean?”

_I have wings._

“Righty-o. What if I need my runner?”

_You won’t._

            “Mkay. You’re the big red boss. What are we waiting around here for? Let’s take that sucker down!” The Dragon swept me up and flew close to the black water. The waves cut in wake of his flight, and mist sprayed me. The Dragon dropped me off at the same spot I’d contemplated giving up weeks earlier. “I’d say things are different, but Kalin just saved me… again. What a great partner!”

            The Dragon set his paws on the wall separating me from the ocean. _He tried to kill you hours ago._

            “I’m sure you’ll warm up to him.” He grunted and disappeared, his essence dissolving into my soul. I heard gasps around me. The people of New Domino City gasped and whispered. They held up odd devices with small, black dots like eyes on the back of them.

            I pushed past them and strolled towards the mansion. Most citizens were in awe of the Stairway. One particular vendor caught my eye amidst the madness. “End of the world special!”

            “That’s an interesting business tactic,” I said.

            “Thank you.”

            “It wasn’t a compliment.” I paused before moving on. “I’ll take one.”

            He served me, and I continued my first walk through New Domino City as a free woman. Whatever it was he gave me was cold and sweet, a wonderful combination I had never considered before.

            Rex Godwin’s wrought-iron gates were locked shut. The little clown man – Lazar, I recalled – hollered at the gathered, panicked crowd. I shoved through them and managed to keep my treat safe from harm. Lazar broke off his speech and stared at me. “The fugitive? What are _you_ doing here?”

            I shrugged my shoulders. “World to save again. You missed some crazy shit in the Satellite. Insane drama, like the Vessel of the Crimson Dragon in love with a Dark Signer, a Signer losing her marbles and nearly her life, and this wacky ape man trying to destroy his own world. Which made literally no sense. I mean, all the interesting stuff happened over there. Why’re you here?”

            He blinked several times. “Y-you can’t go in, if that’s what you want!”

            The edge of blade kissed his throat in an instant. “Don’t think this is an empty threat. You are but a means to an end. _Open it_ , or I’ll kill you and do it myself.”

            He fumbled with something in his pocket. The gates opened. I sheathed my sword while Lazar loosed a meek, high-pitched whine from the depths of his throat. The mansion entrance shut behind me, and I took another bite of my treat. I strutted forward and, seeing a sparkling fountain at the Stairway’s base, sat to where I faced Rex Godwin’s pedestal. Everyone from the crater was gathered ahead of me. The Signers’ marks were glowing, tossing their signature glow across the stone around us like carelessly thrown crimson paint.

            “With the powers of the Crimson Dragon and Earthbound Immortals combined, I will become a god!” Godwin’s eyes bore the black trademark of a Dark Signer. His dark sign – the same bird in flight from the Stairway – shone on his back instead of his forearm. On that arm shone the first mark of the Crimson Dragon, the head. He looked significantly different from before, namely his shirt ripped off to reveal bulging muscles and purple lines along his body. “I will destroy this world and create it anew!”

            “Godwin!” Yusei called. The final Dark Signer only ignored him, laughing as the Stairway rumbled. The monument clawed its way higher and higher, and its force pushed the Signers back.

            I crossed my legs and took another bite. “You could have just told me he was the fifth Signer. Why do you have to be so damn cryptic?”

            _You never asked._

            “Ugh. Worst companion ever. I have to do all the heavy lifting.”

            _I feel the need to remind you I am the only force keeping you conscious at the moment._

            “Right, right. Everyone has something to hold over me.” I took another bite. “Gotta fix this, too.”

            “…Rain?” Kalin must have heard our argument; he turned away from the others and ran to me. His stare rolled over me. “You’re okay! You made it! You… stopped for… ice cream?”

            “Oh, is that what it’s called?” I observed the spun soft serve. “It’s pretty good. Want to share?”

            His focus darted between my leisurely form and the rising Stairway. He burst out laughing and sat beside me. “If it’s really your first time having it, you should keep it all to yourself.”

            Godwin’s voice boomed from atop the Stairway. “Now the ritual begins! I must defeat and sacrifice the Signers to the King of the Underworld for the world to be recreated!”

            “So, what’s in it, anyway?” I asked.

            “It’s, like, milk, ice, and sugar.”

            Godwin shouted, “I can sense your sunken hopes at the sight of my combined power! You’ll never overcome…”

            “What? It can’t be! I hate milk.”

            “How can you hate milk? You’re so weird.”

            “I am not above sacrificing this delicious treat for the sake of shoving it in your face, Kalin.”

            “ _Excuse me_!” Godwin boomed. “Stop interrupting my speech!”

            “Well, sor-ry,” I muttered. “Didn’t know you could hear us from allllll the way up there, Mr. big shot god. _You’re_ the one interrupting _us_ , anyways. Work on those manners, would you?”

            “Rain! You’re still alive!” Yusei exclaimed, and the Signers’ relief was shared through our bonds.

            _Great. More stunned looks,_ I thought.

_You get used to it eventually._

            “It’s not like I was gonna _die_. Geez. I literally just made an agreement to do the opposite. Besides, I still have a royal mess to clean up. I’ll be kicking this ‘god’ to the curb and taking a well-earned rest once I slice through the enlarged swamp monster.”

            “Let’s work together,” Yusei said. “We’ll be stronger if-”

            I shut him up with a glare. “Let this traitor pay her dues.”

            “We don’t see you as a traitor. You’re still my teammate!”

            “You… are too kind. I hope to one day earn back the honor of being a teammate to you. I hope to one day earn back the right to call you all friends. My road begins here.”

            Yusei started to speak but Jack dropped a hand on his shoulder. “You know she messed up big time, so let her fix it. I, for one, believe in her to take care of things.”

            He still seemed forlorn. I held my ice cream out to him. “Would this help? It was an end of the world special.”

            Yusei accepted it… mostly out of confusion. Jack asked, “Did you seriously stop to get that?”

            I shrugged my shoulders. “This guy is practically a nonissue. All villains are not created equal.”

            “How are you able to feel this way?” Aki asked. My confidence must have been leaking through the Crimson Dragon.

            “I’m experienced.” There was a flash of blue along our crimson threads, and a memory followed. They saw the Knight of Destiny brandishing her white blade and diving into the Great Leviathan’s maw, an endless black pit lined with uncountable rows of teeth.

            Luna gasped and said, “That was you in your cool armor!”

            “Hey, thanks! I forged it myself.”

            “What was that… thing?” Yusei asked, still gripping the ice cream cone.

            “Ah, no way!” Leo said. “Did she show you some super cool time travel stuff from the past?”

            Crow grumbled, “They always leave us out. Exclusive Signer club over here!”

            “I’ll tell you all everything once I get back,” I assured.

            “Oh, and you’ll teach me how to use a sword, right?” Leo asked. “Pleeease?”

            I laughed. “Shouldn’t you be afraid of me with a sword?”

            “Pffft, no way! You were creepy for all of, like, two minutes until Kalin made you cry.”

            My partner said, “Is that all you got out of the moment, that I made her cry?”

            “Uh, duh. It’s, like, all you do, dude.” Kalin shot Leo a glare, so he sputtered, “I-I mean, I, uh, take it back!”

            “You would dare to ignore your new god?” Godwin shouted. “Choose your representative!”

            I stepped towards the Stairway, my Knight’s cape flapping behind me. “Yup, hi, me. The short one. Must be hard to spot from your perch. Oh, I get it! Condor! Perch! Damn, I’m clever.”

            “ _You_? You aren’t even a Signer!”

            “Then it’s your lucky day! Destiny is totally on your side. Oh, wait. Karma’s with me, though. Your brother sent me with his final wish. You betrayed him and your duty as the fifth Signer.”

            “I did _not_ betray him. I am becoming a god to create a better world for us!”

            A shadow fell over my eyes. “I have killed gods greater than you.”

            He recoiled. “What _are_ you?”

            I touched my Orichalcos pendant. A column of bright green light surrounded me, and it left me standing on the Condor in the sky. I faced Godwin and activated my Chaos duel disk. I wore the wicked grin of my inner monster and said, “If you prefer, you may call me your demise _._ ”

            “So smug just because you’ve got some fancy light show, are you? If you accept this duel, _child_ , you are placing each of the Signer’s lives on the line. Losing means they are all offered unto the King of the Underworld!”

            “I hope that includes you.” I scowled. This was exactly what I was trying to avoid. If I showed him that I was the Vessel of the Crimson Dragon, I could offer myself instead.

_No, young dragon! He cannot know yet. If he does, you lose your advantage!_

_I don’t need an advantage!_

_Can you set aside your ego for one moment? This ‘god’ has the strongest Earthbound Immortal of them all and a Signer Dragon to go with it._

            “Do it, Rain!” Jack called from below. “I know you won’t lose!”

            Jack…

            “Yes, you can do this!” Aki shouted.

            Luna screamed, “Go, Rain, go!”

            “This is it, Rain,” Yusei yelled. He pointed to the sky. “All of our belief is with you! You’ve got this!”

            Their marks burned bright with my sheer determination, and with my love for them. I spared a glance at my partner. He stood with his arms crossed and a knowing smile. I almost laughed. He didn’t need to say anything, and he knew it. _These friends of mine are all the ego I have, Dragon!_

            “I accept your challenge, Godwin!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is the last real chapter of them! An epilogue will follow afterward :)


	24. A Bond in Darkness

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

_A Bond in Darkness_

 

            The symbol of the Condor floated high above New Domino City. Its purple fires intensified with the start of the Shadow Duel, throwing violet onto the blanket of black clouds. I stood at the etching of the Condor’s splayed tail feathers. Far across at the Condor’s beak towered the Stairway to the Dragon Star. Rex Godwin faced me from its apex. His dark eyes caught the bright red light from his crimson sign. We both fanned out our hands of cards and raised our voices in a shout:

 

* * *

  **“DUEL START!”**

 

            I said, “Since I am the accepter, I’ll take the first move. I start by activating the field spell, The Seal of Orichalcos! With it, my monsters gain 500 attack points and I can use a back row that can’t be attacked while there is at least one monster in the front.”

            The Seal locked us in its circle, flashing wicked green light from below. It was brighter than the Dark Signer fires. “I’ll summon Luster Dragon in attack mode, set one face-down, and end my turn.”

            Godwin added a sixth card to his hand. “Since you have a monster and I have none, I can special summon five-star Oracle of the Sun. Its effect lets me add three-star Fire Ant Ascator to my hand, who I will now summon. I tune them both to Synchro Summon my eight-star Signer Dragon, Sun Dragon Inti, to the field!”

            A headdress-wearing chief waved a staff of white feathers, and a giant red ant appeared beside him. The chief slammed his staff into the ground, and green rings surrounded the two monsters. A red dragon with four necks protruding from a central sun emerged from the portal. It had 3000 attack.

            “I activate the effect of Weeping Idol, removing Fire Ant Ascator from play to special summon it. I also pay 1000 life points to special summon Dark Tuner – Dark Goddess Witaka! I use Witaka’s effect to copy the level of my Sun Dragon Inti and tune it with Weeping Idol to Dark Synchro Summon Moon Dragon Quilla!”

            The sun’s matching silver dragon appeared in a wash of blue light. Its roar showed off its 2500 attack. Shit… His Signer Dragon and Dark Synchro monster were on the field in his first turn!

            “Sun Dragon Inti destroys Luster Dragon, and Moon Dragon Quilla attacks directly!” Flames tore through Luster Dragon and the true damage reached me, lowering my life to 3400. The Dark Synchro shot blue flames alongside it, and they mixed together to consume me in the purple flames of the Dark Signers. My life points fell to 900. Godwin burst into laughter. “The Signers are doomed!”

            The flames cleared, and my skin wasn’t seared. “It’s a good thing I didn’t bring my ice cream.”

            “The fire didn’t..?” He regained composure. “You don’t have what it takes to duel me, girl. We stand on uneven ground! I have the blessing of the Crimson Dragon and the dark god!”

            “The Crimson Dragon has _not_ blessed you.”

            “Oh, but it has. Watch!” The red signs glowed red and disappeared from the Signers’ arms. They then shone upon Godwin’s chest as the full mark of the Crimson Dragon. He laughed, saying, “This is the true strength of a god!”

            “Then I’ll have to show you how the last god fell dead at my feet. My turn!” I drew then smiled at what I held in my hand. “I activate the effect of The Fang of Critias, sending it and the trap I drew, Tyrant Wing, to the graveyard. They combine to special summon Tyrant Burst Dragon! Destroy Sun Dragon Inti!”

            The black dragon soared onto the scene, his wings glowing a bright yellow. It had 2900 attack, which boosted to 3400. He shattered the opposing Signer Dragon with a single wing beat. Godwin’s life points fell to 2600, and slices of yellow energy tore into him. Despite the pain, he was laughing. “Sun Dragon Inti’s effect activates! That dragon is destroyed, and you lose life points equal to its attack. You’ve doomed yourself!”

            “Ah-ah-ah. Tyrant Burst Dragon has a very special ability. I can remove him from play to boost the attack of a dragon-type on my field.”

            “Are you blind? There aren’t any other monsters on your side!”

            “My foresight’s twenty-twenty! I activate my trap Birthright, which returns Luster Dragon to the field! Tyrant Burst Dragon is sacrificed and boosts Luster Dragon’s attack to 2800! Direct attack, Luster Dragon!”

            “Not quite. When Inti is destroyed, its other half returns from the grave. Moon Dragon Quilla lives again!”

            “Not for long. Kill it, Luster Dragon.”

            Sapphire embers sizzled on Godwin’s chest as his life dropped to 2300. Through grit teeth, he said, “When the moon sets, the sun rises again. Revive, Sun Dragon Inti!”

            Dammit. How could I end his cycle? “I’ll end turn by placing one card face-down and summoning Phantom Skyblaster to the back row of my field in defense position. By its effect, two Skyblaster tokens are special summoned alongside it.”

            “Before your End Phase, I activate the spell Fires of Doomsday to bring two Doomsday Tokens to my field.”

            A pair of black wisps materialized in front of the Stairway. Their single, green eyes were thinned by their laughter. My heart thumped against my chest.

            “I release my tokens to Tribute Summon Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca!” First the wicked god’s heart appeared, absorbing the souls of New Domino citizens. The Condor’s purple veins preceded it; its full avian silhouette grew into them. “I activate my Immortal’s effect. By skipping my Battle Phase, your life points are lowered to equal Wiraqocha Rasca’s attack points. You see what that means, don’t you? Rasca’s attack power is… 1!”

            I tensed as the Condor screamed its high-pitched battle cry. It soared over me spewing flames. Though the fire couldn’t burn me, the force of its blast threw me against the Seal. My life counter fell all the way to 1.

            Rex Godwin laughed. “This sign shows me the utter hopelessness the Signers are feeling! They were wrong to bet on you!”

            I was lying flat on my back. My feet were cut from Misty’s broken mirrors. My arms flared with pain from Regulus’s fangs and Aki’s thorns. My cracked ribs ached from my duel against Kalin and Uru’s attack.

            _‘Utter hopelessness…’ That defines my existence for the past nine years. It was thanks to my friends I found my hope. I’ll do the opposite of what I did during my last life: I will erase their fear for them, and for the world. Crimson Dragon, in this duel, I’ll show you something special: that the power of a villain can be what it takes to save the world!_

            He offered a low growl. _Well? I’m watching._

            The crimson spark blazed in my veins, and adrenaline beat back my paralyzing agony. I leapt to my feet. “My draw! I activate the advanced Field Spell, Orichalcos Deuteros! This replaces the Seal of Orichalcos, keeps all of its effects, and adds a couple of new ones. I’ll activate one right now. Once per turn, I can recover 500 life points for every monster on my field. Altogether, I regain 2000!”

            My life increased to 2001, and my smirk was sinister. “I end my turn.”

            “This changes nothing. Once your monsters are gone, you’ll be hopeless once more! Sun Dragon Inti attacks Luster Dragon!”

            “Orichalcos Deuteros’s second effect activates. By sacrificing a monster on my field – like one of my Skyblaster tokens – your attack ends, and your Sun Dragon is destroyed.”

            “W-What? It makes no difference! Quilla appears in its place! I activate the spell Forbidden Lance to reduce Luster Dragon’s attack power and destroy him using Quilla!”

            “Are you daft? Deuteros’s effect activates again. I tribute my last token and you lose your Dark Synchro monster.”

            “The sun rises yet again. Pass turn.”

            Why would he attack with Quilla? It’s almost like he’s desperate to not end his turn with it on the field… “My draw! I’ll start by regaining life points again, giving me 1000 more to reach 3001 total. Now, I sacrifice Luster Dragon and my Phantom Skyblaster to summon the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!”

            The Orichalcos light and Dark Signer flames cast a beautiful green-purple gradient upon my friend. His roar split the sky. Godwin said, “All you’ve done is put yourself in a worse position by leaving yourself with a single monster. A human like you has no way to eliminate a dark god.”

            My eyes shifted color to blood-red irises. Fangs shot out from over my incisors. “If only I were human. A certain card I have saved from the beginning of this duel has a thing or two to say to you, Rex Godwin. Since an Earthbound Immortal taints the field, I may special summon The Crimson Dragon!”

            Scarlet light swarmed from me, and the Dragon soared into the dark sky. His shine reflected off of the New Domino skyscrapers. Orichalcos Deuteros boosted his 2500 attack to 3000. Godwin stammered, “H-how? We looked everywhere!”

            “Almost everywhere. The Crimson Dragon and I are one in spirit and heart! That is why I _know_ you have no blessing from him. Show him, Dragon! Destroy Wiraqocha Rasca and end this duel with Crimson Star Flight!”

            “I activate Destruct Potion! Inti is destroyed and I regain 3000 life points!” The Dragon’s attack continued, and acid rained onto Rex. He grimaced but held on. His life ended at 2300. “My second trap activates: Contaminated Earth! When two of my monsters are destroyed, I can re-summon Wiraqocha Rasca from the grave. Quilla also takes the field since Inti was destroyed.”

            The persistence of that sorry excuse for a dragon was _so_ damned annoying.

            “Blue-Eyes White Dragon battles Moon Dragon Quilla!” The bright blue moon exploded under the sheer power of White Lightning. Godwin’s life fell to 1300. Sun Dragon Inti took its place. “Who’s hopeless now, _god_? Turn end!”

            Godwin was not shaken. “This is far from over. You can’t speak for the Crimson Dragon. Through his actions, I know I am blessed. This mark on my chest represents it! We’re on uneven footing, and I’ll prove it. I activate Card of Sanctity. We both draw until our hands are at six. Ah, here it is! I activate Creature Swap! We select one of our monsters to pass to the other! I hope you like my Inti now that it’s yours.”

            _Rain…_

_My best option is to give you away._

_Go on, young dragon. It will be all right. I believe in you._

            “I give you the Crimson Dragon.”

            Godwin laughed and laughed as the two dragons swapped. “I told you, girl! The Dragon has blessed me. By his power and the dark god’s, you will fall!”

            “…Last time I checked, the attack power was in my favor.”

            “Oh, if only that were true. I almost feel bad for the Signers relying on you. I activate the Continuous Spell, Burden of the Mighty! Each of your monsters loses 100 attack points for every one of their stars.”

            I grit my teeth. Blue-Eyes’ and Sun Dragon Inti’s attack fell to 2700. Godwin laughed at my obvious grief.

            “Reliance on pure strength will be your downfall! I’ll also activate Banner of Courage. During my battle phase, my monsters gain 200 attack each. The Crimson Dragon attacks Sun Dragon Inti!”

            There was sadness in his eyes when he attacked me. The two dragons had equal attack power. Both shattered, but the Crimson Dragon’s sheer power exploded through. I fell to a knee.

            _Rain! I… apologize for-_

            _Now is not the time for pity. We are a team, are we not? He pulled a clever move. Inti’s effect can’t activate since he achieved mutual destruction._

            “Quilla takes the place of Sun Dragon Inti on my field. Now, Quilla, destroy the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!” Once again their strengths matched. Sun Dragon Inti rose to fill Quilla’s absence. My field was empty. “Hahaha! Here you are, hopeless again! I hope your Signers have said their prayers. Sun Dragon Inti attacks directly!”

            My life points fell to 1.

            No.

            No, this couldn’t be-

            “Wiraqocha Rasca, direct attack!”

            -the end.

            The flames tore towards me. I closed my eyes.

            Fire never touched me. A wall of small brown creatures had blocked the attack. I broke down in laughter; Godwin’s utter disbelief had me rolling. “Got ya! You saved me from defeat with your Card of Sanctity! Kuriboh prevents your battle damage, and I hold onto this 1 life point!”

            The blood drained from his face, and his eyes were wide. “Wh-what? Why would you not use it to prevent my Sun Dragon Inti’s attack?”

            “Because I wanted to see that look on your face. See, your Card of Sanctity gave me everything I need to win this duel!”

            “You’re bluffing. The blessing of the Crimson Dragon and the dark god keep me on a higher plane than you. You can’t hope to achieve what I’ve become. I set two face-downs and pass turn.”

            “Watch me! I summon Flamvell Guard in defense position. Next, I activate Double Summon and Soul Exchange. This lets me target one of your monsters for tribute. I choose Sun Dragon Inti!”

            “Why would you not choose my Earthbound Immortal?”

            A grin slashed my face. “I happen to have a monster in my hand with a very special ability. It can attack directly, ignoring any monster you might have on your field.”

            Godwin, obviously staring at the two cards in his backline, said, “Try and see what awaits you.”

            “Mhmm. See, this particular monster also has the ability to ignore any spell or trap that targets it.”

            “Large-spoken lies!” Godwin shouted. “Monsters with abilities as strong as that don’t exist, except for…”

            I spun my hand through the air, indicating for him to go on. He was speechless. I said, “Fine. I’ll put two and two together for you. I sacrifice Sun Dragon Inti and Flamvell Guard to summon Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu!”

            The wicked god’s heart appeared since the souls Kalin had stolen were freed. Instead of feeding on the people of New Domino, though, I offered unto it my own energy: that of the Blue Flame. It consumed the fire of my soul, and the Giant was born. It rose higher and higher until it could touch the stars.

            The dark sign glowed on my right forearm. My right eye was infected by the Dark Signer black outside the iris while my left was still red through the Crimson Dragon’s power. My smile hadn’t gone away. “Ah, there’s that look again, Rex. Did you not know? We’ve been standing on level ground this whole time!”

            Kalin screamed down below. “Rain! You… What the hell did you do? _Why_?”

            A bond in darkness, huh? Yusei always did have a way with words. I giggled. “Crazy, right? You’d think a couple of villains like us would be in hell by this point, not _saving the world_.”

            “Why?” Rex uttered. “Why would the Crimson Dragon choose a Vessel willing to take a dark mark? Why would he choose a ‘villain?’”

            “I wasn’t _chosen_. The Crimson Dragon was forced to conjoin with me to survive since my non-human status made me the only material for a Vessel. Really, it’s more like he’s stuck with me.”

            Rex Godwin thinned his dark eyes. “What _are_ you?”

            The swift winds at our altitude tore at my Knight’s cloak. “I’m more interested in how the Director of Sector Security got his hands on Roman’s sign and somehow became a Dark Signer on top of it! How about we trade stories?”

            “My goal,” he explained, “is to create a new world, one to prevent this war’s despair. These dark and crimson signs ruin lives. I will break the never-ending cycle here. I watched a war rage inside of my brother because of your Dragon. He- he cut off his own arm, right in front of me. Your Dragon forced so much turmoil upon him… right up until he died horribly in the Zero Reverse explosion.”

            “The Crimson Dragon did nothing of the sort. Uru took control of your brother and killed him. The Signers and the Dragon exist to prevent that suffering from spreading!”

            “You think your Crimson Dragon is a symbol of _hope,_ don’t you? Yet the Signers themselves proved there is none!” He slammed a fist on his altar. “The current world isn’t capable of change! That is why I must create a new one! I’ve been a Satellite like you. I had hope, once. You know the Daedalus Bridge reaching towards the City? I built that.”

            “ _What_?” Crow shouted from below. “No, you can’t be him! The legendary man would never join Sector Security! They’re the ones who shut him down in the first place! Being a Director..? Impossible!”

            “It is the truth,” Godwin said with finality. “I fled to the City and created a new life for myself here. Becoming Director would be my way of changing things from the top to the bottom, but I found it impossible. Corruption was everywhere and impossible to weed out. Prejudice against Satellites and psychics was widespread. My brother believed in me to save the world, but what I found was a world not worth the effort.

            “There was one final hope. The Signers and the Crimson Dragon. They could change the world, surely. I placed every resource into gathering you together. Then, what happened? The public turned on Akiza, Yusei, and Jack so swiftly. The first for being a psychic, the second for being a Satellite, and the third for losing his title. The Fortune Cup was supposed to bring about hope, but it did the opposite! It further proved the people in this world are worthless.”

            “You’re looking for hope in all the wrong places,” Crow shouted. “Back in the Satellite, you gave everyone something to look towards. You gave people the strength to move forward in hopes of a brighter future. _You_ created hope with your own two hands! How do you not see that? I’m only here today because of your actions!”

            Godwin waved him away. “Their belief is meaningless. If the bridge they so wanted were to exist, they wouldn’t find a welcoming world. I imagine it would resort to the Satellites being hunted down.”

            My heart constricted. Like an outcast.

            “That would not happen,” Aki said. The strength she placed behind the words calmed me. “Whatever the public thinks, we made a place of belonging among ourselves. By living what we believe, we changed _our_ worlds. That acceptance… I think – no, I _know_ it can spread.”

            Yusei shouted, “The true strength of a Signer is living the change you want to see in the world! By becoming a part of the prejudice, you had already given up!”

            “He speaks the truth – which is why you don’t deserve the Crimson Dragon’s sign, Rex Godwin!” The full mark of the Crimson Dragon scattered from his chest. The head mark fell to Yusei, and Crow was gifted with the tail of the Crimson Dragon.

            “Whaaat,” Leo said. “Rain picked him and not me!”

            Crow grinned and tapped his knuckles against his chest. “Well, I _did_ beat a Dark Signer.”

            “I didn’t pick anyone!” I hollered. “The Dragon’s really particular and secretive about his signs! I don’t play favorites like he does!”

            “Are you quite done?” Godwin seethed. “Yusei Fudo is incorrect. I have not given up!”

            “Right, it’s more. You’ve lost,” I said.

            “I don’t think so. You should agree with me, Vessel,” Godwin said. “A Satellite psychic hunted by Sector Security for months. In New Domino City, the same happened. Sayer of the Arcadia Movement captured you before we could. I’m ready for your tale, Vessel. Explain the horrid path this world forced you down. Then see if you can really call your attack and leave civilization as-is!”

            “Here’s news for you,” I said. “Five thousand years from now, there will be new civilizations, and the Crimson Dragon will rise again to fight for them. Likewise, the Dark Signers will return. Your actions won’t end the cycle you so hate, and what you believe to be the nature of humanity will not change.”

            Fury crossed his face. “Then I will destroy the world so the pain will end! Humanity does not deserve its existence!”

            “Exactly!” I said. “Now you’re catching on.”

            “Then listen to me and _fold_ ,” he demanded. “If you defeat me and skip off to your happy ending, you’ll come to regret it once you realize the true nature of our world.”

            My cards fell from my hand. “…You think I reach a _happy ending_?”

            “Of course you do. You and your little friends will celebrate when I fall. As is true to children, you don’t care about the future.”

            My hands balled into fists, and my speaking hastened with each passing word: “What you presume about me is an assortment of lies. I’ve seen the world and humanity’s nature clearer than any other. I am no _child_. I am Rain ‘the Shadow’ Orichalcum, born above the waves of Atlantis.”

            “Atlantis? The legendary city that sank after achieving advancements exceeding even today’s technology? That’s not possible! You _are_ a child! Atlantis existed over five thousand years ago-” Godwin’s mouth snapped shut. “The Crimson Dragon..!”

            “…If I may continue. In the city riding the ocean, I was the outcast daughter of the king and queen. Many called Atlantis a ‘paradise.’ I saw through these claims, and the eruption proved me right. A nearby volcano exploded, and odd stones rained down onto our city. These stones came to be known as the Orichalcos.

            “The Orichalcos allowed us to create powerful and legendary technology that pushed us into a golden age. Our city could have been the greatest civilization in the world, but with power comes corruption. The stone brought out the worst in humans, making them greedy, evil, and especially… angered.”

            My fingers ran along my Orichalcos pendant. “The stone had a reverse effect on me. Where it gave them bloodlust, it subdued mine. Where they were greedy, I was more generous. Where they were angry, I was kinder. The fall of humanity around me was stark in comparison. They only focused on themselves, using anything to get what they wanted. That is how the Orichalcos technology was ultimately used.

            “I thought the stone brought out their true selves. I even watched the Orichalcos turn my mother into a horrendous beast and attack my father, saw the look on his face as she almost killed him. He wasn’t able to kill her… but I was. I thought it was the true form and the heart of all humans. I hated humanity. I wanted to watch them tear themselves apart, and I wanted the city to burn!

            “The Orichalcos was of similar mind. The stone believed humanity was a blight to be eradicated. That’s why I created the Seal of Orichalcos card. I admired its power to draw out humanity’s nature and use it to destroy them from the inside out by trapping their very souls. I agreed with the Orichalcos. More. I fought for it. I reaped souls for its sake.

            “But here is where we differ. My brother asked me to save the people of Atlantis from the Orichalcos as his last wish. Instead of being some coward and calling his request too difficult, I put all of my being into seeing it come true.”

            Godwin was stone-faced. “You pull an about-face because of one person’s request?”

            “Not just any person,” I said. “The one who showed me the nature of humanity doesn’t have to be evil. The Orichalcos’s manipulation transformed the Atlantians into the worst possible versions of themselves.”

            “So you know the Orichalcos is evil,” he said, “yet still you boast its power for your own use.”

            “I’ll never forget its incredible power or what I once was,” I muttered, “but I believe all ‘evil’ things can be used to create the same or more good. With the Orichalcos technology, I could find and make powerful allies to fulfill my brother’s wish. I humbled myself before the Legendary Knights, a powerful pharaoh, and one of the Signer Dragons. As a result, I was knighted and fought a war with an army of duel spirits and Egyptian gods. We met the Orichalcos’s forces, which were led by a twisted and possessed version of my father, King Dartz Orichalcum.

            “I found both victory and defeat. Though my army overcame his and I ended his life with my own two hands, he used his own soul to summon The Great Leviathan, a beast with the power to consume all of humanity. I knew… if I went to battle, I wouldn’t come back.” A spark of the Blue Flame lit and extinguished in my palm. “But, as circumstances would have it, Shining No- er, the only way to eliminate The Great Leviathan was by sacrificing myself. Atlantis’s infrastructure was destroyed in the war, so my last sight was my old home sinking beneath the waves in the sunset.”

            Godwin gaped at me. “You… died? Does that mean the Dark Signer-”

            “Not quite. You see, I was laid to rest with the duel monsters. After witnessing the war, they didn’t want to live beside humans anymore. They desired a new world where they could exist separately, one that reflect the human world. I offered my aid, and thus the Spirit World was born. They created a paradise within where Timaeus, Critias, Hermos, and the Knight of Destiny could rest in peace. The duel spirit part of me was pleased with this ending, but my human half was not so lucky. The Crimson Dragon approached that half while she was facing punishment for her sins.”

            I explained my meeting with the Dragon, the original Signer war, and my five thousand year entrapment. “And what do I see when I awake other than the Zero Reverse explosion? I managed to survive, sure, but my memory didn’t. Oh my stars, it was like my brain was set on fire and I couldn’t hear my own screams. That would be my second ‘happy ending’ after damnation, wouldn’t it? Today will be number three. Already I’ve lost pints of blood, broken every one of my ribs, and plenty else that’ll hit me once the Crimson Dragon runs out of grace. No, Godwin, there is not a ‘happy ending’ for me.”

            “No, no! How can you not see this? I’m making the world a better place… For all you’ve been through, surely you must understand! The cycle must end. You will _never_ get your happy ending! Don’t you think you deserve better?”

            “I do not,” I stated, staring at the violet glow of the Giant’s mark on my forearm. “My beliefs matched the Orichalcos up to the end. Humanity should have been eradicated. My heart is truly like a Dark Signer’s. Today, though, that all changed.

            “The new world you and I have sought for years – the happiness we desired – was under our noses the whole time. The wonderful, wonderful world has been held in the hands of those we are threaded to. Even all that time ago, when I was outcast and alone, I always had my brother by my side. When I woke up in the Satellite, I found beauty there and kindness shown to me. I spent my time being distracted by the inevitable evil in the world that I let it blind me to the goodness right beside me.

            “I am blind no longer. My alliance to villainy gives me the power to right my former mistakes! If the nature of the Crimson Dragon is living the change, I have proved it in this duel! The Orichalcos, once meant to wipe away humanity, will be my tool to save it! This dark sign, created to raze civilization, will instead be its savior!”

            Bright red streaked the dark sky above. Five lights twisted and melded onto my back. The full mark of the Crimson Dragon shone there. Godwin scanned my stance. I imagined the mixing of the black of my cloak, the purple of my sign, and the red of my threads was an odd sight. “The Crimson Dragon… could believe in someone like you? It makes no sense. Your Satellite was full of gang violence and selfish people!”

            “The people of my Satellite took me in through nothing but generosity, and my gang fought to bring peace to the Satellite.”

            “…I spent all of my time there looking at the City across the ocean,” he said. “I always thought of Roman. I wondered what he saw, but I think, maybe, you two are similar.”

            “Maybe not Roman and I but Roman and my brother.” I touched the heart adorning my blue bracelet. “I wondered what he saw in the Atlantians to request their salvation with his final breaths. Roman, too… The last of his strength wasn’t spent pitying himself. He knew they would be his final moments of freedom, and he used them to cut off his arm for the sake of hope beyond his pain. I know it was hard for you to watch, but can you imagine how hard it was for him to accomplish? He’s a true hero. I think… my brother is, too. I was a tool to his heroism, and that’s the best ending I could hope for. What about you?”

            “A tool,” he repeated absentmindedly. His eyes were on our Earthbound Immortals. “My brother believed in me to defeat Uru, break his control, and send Roman back into his true death. When he realized I lost on purpose, he looked so… heartbroken. I told myself I would create a world where he would never feel that, but… he had faith all along. The only one to break it was _me_. What have I done..?”

            A tear streaked his cheek. He cried out to the sky, “Roman, _I’m sorry_!”

            The desperation in his cry was familiar enough to make my heart lurch. “It’s okay. He would forgive you; I just know it. I mean, I’ve held the person I loved most in this world as they died… _twice_. It causes you to do crazy things. Like die in war for a cause you don’t believe in. Or take a dark sign. I don’t blame you. I’m right there with you. That’s the only reason why I’m the Signers’ representative. They could win on their own, but I… made a mistake. They gave me the chance to fix it. You can, too.”

            “Fix..?” He closed his eyes for a moment then reached for his deck. “Very well. I’m going to end the duel!”

            The flames of the dark god surrounded his hand. A rumble of a voice commanded, “Hope is absent, as is your soul. You are bound to my command, Rex Godwin!”

            Rex’s eyes shone violet. It was like Misty when the wicked god took full control. I had no other choice. I said, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Ccapac Apu, direct attack!”

            My Earthbound Immortal smashed its fist into the Stairway to the Dragon Star, and Godwin’s life points fell to zero. The two dark gods disappeared. I put up my deck and ran to where Rex once stood. He was crushed against the stone monument and fading.

            “The darkness… I see. That Dragon made the right choice with you.”

            I hid my eyes as he disappeared. _I doubt that’s the truth._

            The Dragon purred. _It is so._

_We don’t have time to argue. The big blob is almost here._ The Crimson Dragon materialized and curled around the Stairway’s apex. I jumped off of the relic and onto his back. _Hey, Dragon. Do you remember the Atlantian incantation that gives my sword power?_

_Tell me again,_ he said.

            I drew my blade. _Insluith, the faith my friends gave me._

            We soared towards the King, and the Crimson Dragon’s flare lit up the dark city. _Yrrsil, the love my partner showed me._

            The Dragon curved. I catapulted off. The force of our flight was behind my blade as I drove it between the King of the Underworld’s eyes. _Rykuix, the pain I will heal!_

            The Orichalcos saber glowed bright green and exploded by my invocation. The beast loosed a devastating shriek, and the black sludge of its head was tossed in all directions. I was thrown away by my own blast. The King of the Underworld melted away, and the Crimson Dragon roared with triumph. My last sight before falling deep into the ocean waves was shining crimson light.

            I awoke in pure darkness. What looked like a door of light opened, and the Godwin brothers stepped out. They weren’t the Dark Signers, though; Rex wore his pale blue suit, and Roman was as he appeared before his death.

            “Thank you for sharing your truth,” Rex said. “We’re happy to rest peacefully… together, at last.”

            “You’ve only been able to see Rex and me because of your dark sign,” Roman explained. “That gives you an opportunity. With the power of your dark mark, you can take the Dark Signers back to the land of the living.”

            Behind me, Misty, Carly, Greiger, and Devack were drifting through the dark. I nodded towards the brothers. “I’ll give them their lives back.”

            “Thank you for fulfilling my final wish,” Roman said. He put a hand on his brother’s shoulder, and they both left with regards. I limped over to the former Dark Signers.

            _Rain. I can’t help you. Only you can touch them because of the dark sign._

            “It’s fine.” I smiled. The Earthbound Immortal contained within me had eaten all but a tiny kindling of my Blue Flame. I faced my palm towards the ground and said, “Shining Diffusion!”

            Azure fire blazed from my hand and consumed all five of us. It left us on the Daedalus Bridge in the Satellite. The Dragon said, _I’ve brought you a gift, Rain. Just know that my energy will run out soon, and you’ll lose consciousness._

            “A gift? From the Crimson Dragon? I’m honored.”

            “Rain!” His shout came from far ahead. In the light of the sunrise, I could see four shapes. Kalin came into view first. He was sprinting the fastest and breathing heavily by the time he reached me. He grasped my shoulders. “Rain, please tell me it was some kind of trick. Tell me you didn’t take it!”

            “I can’t lie to you.” The dark sign glowed on my arm. “I know you’re angry, but… because I did this, I was able to save you and all of them.”

            His gaze drifted behind me. “You brought them back..? You brought _me_ back…”

            “Yeah, but I don’t have much longer. I’m gonna pass out soon. Might be a long while before I get back.”

            “That’s fine,” he assured. “You take all the time you need, and I’ll be waiting.”

            “Ha… That doesn’t sound like my Kalin.”

            “Yeah, well, maybe I’m a little different now.”

            I winced and wrapped an arm around my abdomen. “D-don’t think you’re off the hook or anything. You’re gonna owe me a ton of dates to make up for it. Like, all the time you have… I won’t be satisfied with any less.”

            “Of course,” he said. His laugh was pained. “I swear it, princess.”

            “…I love you so much.”

            “Right back at you, partner,” he whispered, and his eyes glistened.

            “There she is,” Crow said. “The hero!”

            “ _You_ are the hero… Signer.” My old teammate grinned. His tail mark glowed through his jacket.

            “Quite a performance out there,” Yusei said. “But I’m worried about-”

            “ _What is that_?” Jack shouted, his stare pointedly on Carly.

            “They can live again,” I said. “I met with Rex and Roman, too. They didn’t want to come back. They found peace.”

            “Thanks to you,” Yusei said. “The dark bond stretches further.”

            Crow said, “Everyone from the Satellite is back, like Hiro, Yuki, and Martha. You… had us on edge for a while there, but you fixed it like you promised.”

            Jack could only gaze at Carly.

            “Everyone should be back, and- agh!” I stumbled, and Kalin caught me. “I don’t have much time left. Could I ask you for a couple things?”

            “Anything,” Kalin said. The others agreed.

            “The Dark Signers. Give them a second chance to live like nothing happened. I think- I know everyone deserves one.” I grunted again. The pain was flooding in. “My last request is- don’t you dare leave Crow hanging, okay? Make sure his dream comes true. Make the bridge real.”

            “Our dream, isn’t it?” Crow asked with a grin.

            “I swear we’ll do it,” Yusei said.

            Jack’s smile was smug. “It will be done.”

            “I think we _all_ can agree you three need some leadership, so I _guess_ I can help.” We all laughed, and I kept laughing long after Kalin had said it. He muttered, “C’mon, Rain, it wasn’t that funny.”

            “No, you don’t get it. I was wrong. I was wrong!” I slipped from his grasp and sat on the bridge with my legs sprawled out behind me. Tears streamed down my face. For the first time in my life, they were tears of joy. “We’re all together again. This is… the happiest ending I ever could have imagined.”

            My teammates started to speak, but I never heard the words.

            Pain exploded all at once. I fell into the same emptiness I started in.

            _Rain…_

_Hey, Dragon?_

_Hm?_

_Um… it’s nothing, I guess. Just… It’s nice, having friends that care about you._


	25. Epilogue: Unraveled Threads

            The scenery changed to fit my imagination.

            At first, it was as it had been: never ending, emerald green fields; flowers of every color strewn throughout; creeks flowing here and there, their flow a lullaby; and the endless, cloudless sky, bluer than the ocean depths. The beauty of nature twisted into a sea of concrete. I stood where the sealing Orichalcos crystal had broken.

            It seemed like it’d been a millennium ago. Shards of Orichalcos were scattered around. As I picked one up, the area shifted again. The alley beneath my feet transformed into crudely melded cobblestone. Like the purest dove, it was solid white, revealing its time under the relentless sun.

            The palace of Dartz Orichalcum towered over me. It was more modest than grand, I’d learned. Its spire hardly pierced the sky and its edges were shy compared to that of, say, the length of the Crimson Dragon.

            “I’m surprised you would want to revisit Atlantis.” I didn’t need to look at him; Timaeus’s voice was obvious.

            “Well, this place _was_ my home. It may hold more bad memories than good, but I’ve learned since then. Life is all about growing.”

            “Life?” he mused. “To be in the Gilded Gate, you are meant to be dead, yet you use it to reflect on life. You are a curious being, Knight of Destiny.”

            “I take that as a compliment,” I stated. He must have come from training, for he wore his full suit of cyan armor. The sight of his scarred eye always pricked my heartstrings. “Plus, I’m not dead. My other half is just… out of commission. Comatose, they call it.”

            “General.” His purple eye bore into me. “You’ve been spending much time alone, and every time you try to train you end up… you know. Please tell me what you are going through.”

            A bead of sweat formed on my temple. I palmed my Orichalcos saber, and the scenery around me changed into a field of violets. Bright blue butterflies fluttered through the air. “Let’s try again.”

            “You can tell me the truth. The other two are busy-”

            I crossed the landscape, where two other knights sparred. Hermos, in red, was thrown onto the grass. He said, “Aw, what? You cheated!”

            “Distraction tactics aren’t cheating. They’re legitimate strategies. I don’t know why you challenge me. You’ll never win.” The black-armored knight glared at me. “The crybaby’s here.”

            “Tame your tongue, Critias,” Timaeus said. He had followed close behind me. “She’s ready to make another attempt.”

            Critias’s sharp blue eyes burned holes into me. “Take an easy one, then. Hermos! Stand!”

            “Hey! I am not easy!” He growled at Critias then sucked in a breath and ran a hand through his mess of blond hair. “Fiiine. You can do it this time, Rain!”

            I raised my blade, but when I did, crimson marks shone along my body. I grimaced, shouting, “No, not again!”

            My consciousness was swept into a vision. The sun was near to New Domino City’s horizon, and its light was orange on Leo and Luna. The twins wore what looked like uniforms, Luna’s being red and Leo’s being blue. They walked through a crowded plaza and stopped at a flower shop. Luna said, “What about roses? Think she’d like white ones? Her favorite dragons are white.”

            “I don’t care what kind they are,” Leo muttered. “As long as they’re the biggest and best! We have to outdo Kalin somehow!”

            “I don’t think you’ll ever…” Luna laughed. “Oh, what’s the harm? Sure. How about you choose, Leo?”

            “Aw, yeah! I’m gonna pick the greatest ones, you’ll see!”

            Luna tailed him through the shop as he scrutinized each flower. She whispered, “Do you think Kalin’s okay?”

            “Huh? Uh, I guess so. He’s been working super hard and designed the whole bridge. Isn’t that what Rain wanted? It sucks what happened to her but he seems fine. He smiles every time I see him!”

            “Don’t you think he did the same to Rain when he was keeping that secret from her?”

            “You’re overthinking it,” Leo said. “Why are you worrying about that creep so much, anyway?”

            Luna gazed into the blossom of a red rose. “That’s not nice. He’s okay. Besides, the spirits… told me something.”

            Leo looked to her but she wouldn’t meet his eyes. “What does that have to do with crazy dude?”

            “It’s Torunka. He used his magic, and he could hear Rain…”

            “…Aaand?”

            Luna bit her lip. “Forget it. Have you picked a kind out yet?”

            “Oh, I’m picking out a bunch of kinds! It’s gonna be a whole bouquet!”

            Luna giggled, and the scene shifted. Yusei and Aki were in his garage. He worked on his red duel runner, and Aki handed him tools as he requested. He said, “Something on your mind? You’ve been quiet.”

            “Thinking about Rain,” she muttered. “The vision of her Roman showed us makes me wonder over and over if that’s how I would have ended up. I’m so lucky I had people that still cared about me. I’m so lucky I had… you, Yusei. You saved my life. Because of you, the Black Rose is gone forever.”

            He dropped his tools and planted a kiss on her cheek. Her face reddened. He whispered, “You are a beautiful rose, now and forever. Don’t forget it.”

            “How… could I?” She smiled, and her brown eyes shone.

            “That… makes me happy to hear. Besides, Rain – if her story was true, there was someone who cared about her. She had her brother. This time, it was the same way, except it was Kalin who was able to reach her.”

            Aki grasped her own forearm. “Is he still-”

            “Yes.” Yusei’s smile wavered. “He’s avoiding me. He doesn’t get it. All I want is for everything to go back to the way it was before, but he can’t move past it. He won’t accept my forgiveness.”

            “You heard what they said. They… wanted to die, and now he’s alone…”

            “I know. That’s why I’m trying to give him some space, but it doesn’t change this feeling I have – like nothing I say makes a difference.”

            Aki sighed. “To tell the truth, Yusei, it might not. There was a time when I… I enjoyed using my psychic power, you remember? That girl didn’t deserve to be saved. That girl didn’t deserve your help.”

            “How can you say that? Of course you did! You’re amazing, and sweet, and I love you so much-!”

            Aki rested her hand over Yusei’s clenched fist. “I know you think that. I _know_ , but that can’t change how I feel about the person I used to be, understand?”

            “No, I don’t understand! You’re different now, and he is, too!”

            “As much as I would like to believe that,” Aki said, “she’s still a part of me. That will never change.”

            Yusei searched her eyes. “Then… could you talk to him?”

            “I’ve tried.” Her gaze fell. “He just smiles and doesn’t talk about himself. Ever.”

            “Sounds about right,” Yusei grumbled. “Damn him. He really doesn’t think he belongs with us. Anyway. I was thinking we could get an apartment together, just the two of us. That way, you could be far away from… _him_.”

            Aki’s sharp intake of breath puffed her chest and stomach forward. “You really mean it? My fa- I mean, the senator has already gone back to treating me the way he used to. He’s already planning on shipping me off to Duel Academia again… If I could stay with you, though-”

            “Please do,” Yusei said quickly. “Please.”

            She interlaced her fingers through his. “Yes, of course.”

            The vision swept away, displaying the entrance to a hospital. Half of the sun’s disk was visible. Red-orange washed over the courtyard, giving Crow’s three criminal marks a glow effect. He was standing in front of the revolving door. Someone ran straight into him.

            “My bad,” Kalin murmured. He wore a faded brown leather jacket over a gray shirt and jeans. He glanced up and grinned. There were dark trenches beneath his eyes. “Oh! Hey, Crow.”

            “You visiting again?”

            “Yeah!”

            Crow’s eyebrows scrunched. “You’re… not looking too good, dude. You doing okay?”

            Kalin ran a hand through his hair, grinning. “I’m fine.”

            “I can’t believe you would do this again.” Crow shook his head. “This is just like the end of our team. Isn’t it time you told the truth? Everyone’s been worried about you!”

            “Huh.” Kalin’s face fell. “That… can’t be right. I’m not important.”

            Crow shouted, “Are you kidding me? All those times in the Satellite you saved us, and the Bridge-”

            “Hey.” Crow broke off and stared at Kalin’s small smile with wide eyes. In a quiet voice, he said, “I get it. It’s just… hard for me to accept, you know?”

            “Y-yeah. Sorry for yelling.”

            “No problem. I get that you’re just trying to help. Look, I have trouble sleeping all the time now. That’s probably why I look like a dead man walking. Not much I can do to prevent it. I know… I’m overworking, but it makes me feel better. Eh. As ‘better’ as I _can_ feel.”

            “Sorry about that,” Crow muttered. “Hey, I have an idea. Since they accepted your design, they’re hiring construction workers for the big job. I’m shooting for supervisor, personally! Gotta make sure they do it justice. That could be some regular hours for you. Why not give it a shot?”

            Kalin rubbed at the back of his neck. “Yeah, that’s a good idea. Thanks for looking out for me. Sorry for scaring you.”

            “You, uh…” Crow’s gray eyes scanned his old leader. “You’re different.”

            Kalin smiled and tapped his temple. “Thanks, friend.”

            With that, he brushed past Crow and entered the hospital. Crow busted out a laugh. “With the way Rain acted at the end there, and the way he’s acting now… They’ve swapped places! God, I can’t wait for her to wake up and see this.”

            The scene shifted to show Jack standing in a hospital room. Outside the window, dusk swept over New Domino City. Streetlights flickered on one-by-one like the stars piercing through the night. Jack stared down at… me, passed out on the bed and hooked up to various machines. My normal outfit was replaced with a paper hospital gown. Scratches and bruises stained my skin where visible, though bandages covered most. On the table beside me rested a vase full of bright yellow goldenrods. Their color was reminiscent of my criminal mark.

            “Little late for you to be here.” Kalin slipped into the room and stood beside him. “I don’t think I’ve seen you visit before. Actually, I haven’t seen you since you used your pretty boy powers to get me and her that helicopter ride to the hospital from the Satellite!”

            Jack glared at him. “Stop calling me that. I’m here because I was waiting for you.”

            “An audience with the King? I’m honored!”

            “Ex-King,” Jack growled.

            “Oh, right. I didn’t miss Yusei kicking your ass to the curb like you did his. How the hell are you able to be in his company? He’s practically a saint. I can’t stand being near him. We’ll never be on the same level, not after I…”

            Jack crossed his arms. “One mistake doesn’t have to ruin our friendship.”

            “Oh, one. Right,” Kalin muttered. “My pile is so high, I could reach the moon. I’d say heaven, but… there’s only so much rejection I can take, you feel?”

            “Listen.” Jack sighed. “If you want to work on making it up to him, the best thing you can do is be his friend. That’s all he wants. I realize that sounds ridiculous to people like you and me, but… it’s the way Yusei is. A saint. Sure, when I look at him, all I can see is that look on his face when I betrayed him. It gets better, Kalin. Being near him helps more than avoiding him hurts.”

            Kalin grinned. “Aw, did you visit just to ease my aching heart? I didn’t believe Carly, but damn, she really did change you!”

            Jack flinched at the mention. “No, I didn’t visit for that, but – you and I are friends, too, Kalin. I realize I haven’t been around these past three weeks. That’s because Carly… forgot everything. She doesn’t remember being a Dark Signer like you do. She acts the same way she did before, and it… hurts. But, you… you’re in pain, too, aren’t you? Wouldn’t you rather forget? I want to know if this is the best for her.”

            “Are you kidding? It hurts like hell!” Kalin swept an arm towards me. “I have to stand here and know I did that!.. You’re wrong, though. I wouldn’t give up those memories if I had the choice. If I lost them, I wouldn’t have changed. I don’t doubt that I would follow the same path, never listening to anyone, and end up hurting the people I care about all over again.

            “Carly’s different, though. She didn’t choose to be a Dark Signer. Did you know that? She never wanted revenge on you or anyone. In fact, she only dueled you because I convinced her to.”

            Jack snarled. “You _what_?”

            “She asked me how I could go through with dueling Rain since she was in the same position. I told her exactly what I thought, and she agreed. She wanted to save you so badly, Jack.” Kalin observed the anger darkening Jack’s features and his clenched fists. “You can hit me. It’s fine. I don’t deserve any less. Just… take it from me. It won’t feel so good afterwards.”

            Jack grabbed Kalin by his coat collar. Kalin’s expression remained neutral as Jack demanded, “You’re going to tell me exactly what happened in that duel between you and Rain.”

            “…Why?”

            “ _Do it_ , Kalin! I need this!” Jack released him, and Kalin glanced at me.

            “If it’ll help you, fine.”

            He described the details of our duel up to the point where the Earthbound Immortal attacked me, and I almost died. Jack stopped him. “Did she say, ‘Don’t tell me you thought I’d give up on my partner so easily?’”

            Kalin raised his eyebrows. “Those words exactly.”

            “Afterwards, did she say, ‘If that’s what it takes, then I’ll put every last beat of my heart into this duel. My partner deserves no less?’”

            “If you already know, you didn’t have to make me tell the whole story again, dude,” Kalin muttered while staring at his own boots.

            “You don’t understand. Rain… she saved my life with those words.”

            “Then you and I have a lot in common.”

            Jack frowned. “I suppose we do. Carly trapped me in a hallucination during our duel, making me think I had lost. I came back as a Dark Signer, and it showed the world as it would be if the Signers didn’t win. We were like a king and queen of this – this hell on earth.

            “I almost… I wanted to stay because she was there and alive, and if that wasn’t the truth then what did I have left? What would I have left if I did win? Without her, I would be that asshole excuse for a ‘King!’ I never wanted to go back to that world, the one without her in it, because I hated myself in that world.

            “Then I heard Rain’s voice. She appeared in that vision, and she was so… so hurt. How she managed to stand is beyond me. Then she said those words, and that’s how I broke free of that hallucination. Because… my partner deserved no less, either.

            “I was able to admit that to her once we returned to the duel. She… agreed, and said she was fighting for the same reason. She didn’t want _me_ to die. That makes sense now. The dark god wouldn’t let her fold, so I had to end her myself. I thought… I thought she was dead, but Rain saved her! I was so happy to have her back, but she doesn’t remember any of that. She doesn’t remember… giving me this.”

            He slipped a card out of his pocket and held it in the moonlight filtering through the hospital window. It was called King of All, and it displayed a gleeful Jack being praised by a huge crowd. “Every time I see this, I hold onto the belief that someone like her could see the good in me. Without the real Carly, though, that feeling is slipping away. I don’t know what to do. If I tell her the truth, won’t that only hurt her? I don’t want to be selfish, Kalin! I want what’s best for her!”

            “Um. Well. That’s… a toughie.” He rubbed at the back of his neck, avoiding Jack’s eyes and staring at me. “But you know, Jack, the fact that you’re agonizing over this shows that you’ve changed for good. You don’t necessarily need that version of her around to be selfless. You _are_ selfless. So, I would say… Be happy just to… have her around.”

            Jack’s violet eyes softened. He said, “I’m sorry.”

            “Then you can repay me by taking a bit of my own advice. The only way you can know what’s best for her is by asking her. Let her make her own decision.”

            “Alright.” Jack’s chin dipped the slightest bit. “You’ve changed, too. I hope you know that. She would be happy. Will be.”

            “Whatever. I hope _you_ know this nice little conversation won’t keep me from giving you shit!”

            “Same goes for me, Kessler. That’s what friends are for.” Jack turned to leave but paused. “You… take care of yourself. And thank you for listening. You’ve helped me out again, leader.”

            Kalin laughed. “Please! A King like you has no leader!”

            Jack smiled as he left. Once he was gone, Kalin sat on the floor next to my bed, his back to me. He leaned his head back so it fell next to my open hand, and the moonlight lit his eyes silver. “This is some way to teach me patience, Rain. I said I’d wait as long as it takes, and I meant it. You’re worth that and so much more. But…”

            He flipped so he was on his knees and buried his head into the hospital mattress. Kalin slipped his fingers through mine and shut his eyes hard. A tear slipped out and his voice shook: “It’s so hard without you here. We agreed to live, and I’m not doubling back on that. I just… didn’t think I would have to do it alone. Now I don’t feel like I belong anywhere. I’m afraid to sleep. I always see you, and it hurts so goddamned much when I wake up. I almost don’t want this heart. I’ll hold on as long as it takes for you. That’s a promise, and hey, I don’t break my promises, either. Not anymore. Jesus, I’m so tired. But I can’t… I…”

            His breathing slowly steadied. The night was still and silent. Blackness engulfed the room, leaving me suspended. The glint of a silver line fell from my back, and the vision followed it. That thread fell through blue skies and white clouds until it landed on the other side of its connection, and my mind returned to my body. The crimson glow dissipated; I buried my face in my hands, and tears leaked through.

            “Oh, great. There she goes _again_ ,” Critias groaned. “I can’t believe you’re supposed to be our general. I’ve lost all respect for you! What is this, the third time today?”

            Hermos punched his shoulder. “Chill out, man! She went through hell in the human world. You know how it is.”

            “Talk to us, Rain,” Timaeus said. “We’re friends. Why does this keep happening?”

            I screamed, “You don’t get it! I keep hearing and seeing all of those she’s tied to on the surface! These damned threads are tearing me apart. They’re in so much pain, and I can’t help. The partner especially is- he’s-”

            Timaeus rested a hand on my shoulder. “Maybe we can help. If we use Legend of Heart, some of your words might reach him.”

            “Why would I waste my power to help those humans?” Critias said. “Shouldn’t we learn from Rain’s story and realize the above world is made of pain? We’re better off leaving them to deal with it!”

            “Eh, I dunno, Critias. That world turned Rain into who she is now! She used to be kinda terrifying, if you remember. No offense.”

            Timaeus said, “That’s true, and remember what strength that change gave her. You can respect strength, can’t you, Critias?”

            “Whatever it takes to get you idiots to shut up,” Critias said. “And if we do this, no more crying! You’re ruining our fencing sessions!”

            I sniffled. “Okay. I agree to your terms.”

            They crossed their blades, and I knelt before them. My hands clasped together as though in prayer. Timaeus said, “Three lines.”

            “You don’t have to suffer alone.” Azure light glowed along Timaeus’s blade.

            “I’m always with you.” Scarlet sparked after Hermos’s hilt.

            “I believe in you.” Black aura swarmed around Critias’s sword.

            The three colors exploded into a grand light that split the sky. I smiled, and my eyes were dry. “Thanks, guys.”

            “Thank me with a spar,” Critias said, “keeping your side of our agreement.”

            The hilt of my saber fit into my palm in the next instant, and I ran at him. I was able to trade blows, and my thoughts and instincts focused solely on the match. Critias overcame my scrappy offense with a stalwart defense, and he disarmed me. “Ah, you win again! Good match.”

            “Hardly,” he grumbled.

            “You don’t always have to be such an ass,” I snapped. “We all know Timaeus can outspar you any minute of the day.”

            Critias’s sneer spelled fury. Hermos laughed, saying, “Ya got him all riled up now!”

            “Why do you talk like that again?” I asked.

            “It’s been since The Domino Incident,” Timaeus explained. “Ah, I don’t think you remember it. Dartz manipulated your mind afterwards, so it may not be all there for you.”

            “Hey! Do ya remember that kid wit the spiky hair? I’ll never forget that mug. His hair was a crazy mix, like, red, black, blond- what was his name again?”

            “I don’t follow,” I mumbled. There was an odd memory attempting to surface, though. I caught a snapshot attempting to slip through – one of a silver-haired boy beneath the shade of an apple tree. I attempted to re-focus on the present. Hermos said Dartz, but my father had been dead for thousands of years. Hadn’t he? Was I missing some pieces? What was The Domino Incident? Was it why they still called me ‘Rain’ instead of my name?

            Hermos opened his mouth to speak, but a rumble in the sky caught our attention. Black clouds gathered, and violet electricity crawled among them. “What the hell is th-”

            Purple lightning crashed down on me. The breath escaped my lungs and I doubled over. Darkness enveloped me; words were trying to reach me, but they were garbled and indistinct. Clarity broke through like a rock shattering a window, and a few lines reached me through the fog:

            _Listen closely… Everyone's forgotten about you now. All those memories of you? Poof. Disappeared. Now you're really alone again._

            Another vision brought me to New Domino City. Leo and Luna walked past the ruins of the Arcadia Movement on their way to the hospital. Above them, clouds coiled towards the storm’s eye. A massive bolt of lightning cracked the sky. From it, an almost invisible force erupted. Luna and Leo stopped when it passed them though it was as unnoticeable as a light breeze.

            Leo said, “Um, where were we going again?”

            “I don’t know.” Luna cocked her head. “Hey, Leo, who are those flowers for? You got a crush at school now?”

            “N-no!” Leo blushed and held them behind his back. “I… don’t know where I got these!”

            “Suuure you didn’t. C’mon, who is she?”

            The scene swept away while Leo stammered a response. Between City skyscrapers, Jack walked with purpose towards Carly. She gushed, “Oh, hi, Jack! Um, how are you doing?”

            He grasped her forearms. “There’s something very important I have to tell you, Carly. I l-”

            The dark wind passed him and he backed away, holding his head. “What… was I saying?”

            “Not sure,” she said. “Looked kinda serious, though! Are you okay?”

            “I don’t know. I feel… strange.”

            “Maybe you haven’t fully recovered from your duel with Rex?”

            “…Maybe. I’m going for a ride. See you later.”

            The vision shifted to Crow and Yusei meeting next to a fountain. Yusei said, “I found a place for us to stay. Plenty of room for you, Jack, and I. The landlord is a friend of Martha’s, and she’s crazy about me. Something about what she’s seen on the news about us.”

            “Ugh, it’s so weird, right?” Crow asked. He bunched up his sleeve to show his crimson birthmark, that of the tail. “Strangers keep coming up to me and asking about it. They’ll want pics and autographs all because of us taking down Godwin. Being a Satellite was supposed to be a shame.”

            “I know it’s annoying, but at least we’re changing that,” Yusei responded.

            “Yeah, at least,” Crow grumbled.

            My mind was tossed back to the hospital, where my human half was unconscious. Dawn light fell upon Kalin. He pushed himself up from the hospital bed and, realizing he was still holding my hand, quickly released it. “S-sorry!.. Huh?”

            He kept his curious gaze on me and stepped forward. Calling to a nurse, he said, “’Scuse me. Uh, who’s in this room?”

            “That room? It’s unoccupied!”

            “Uh, no, it’s not.”

            “Huh?” She peered into the room, gasped, and hurried inside. “I don’t remember anyone being in here. Let’s see. Rain, is it? Is she a friend of yours?”

            “…Sort of. Is… she okay?”

            “According to this, she’s been in a coma for three weeks.”

            “A coma? And you didn’t remember her?”

            The nurse set her mouth in a thin line. “I don’t know what’s happening here. I’ll be right back.”

            Kalin watched me for a moment, reached for the door, and stopped. He gasped and staggered back. He leaned on the bed and, gaping at me, stuttered, “Was that- was that you, Rain? I- I could swear I just heard…”

            He shook his head. Kalin reached towards the vase and withdrew a single flower. He said, “If that was you… No. Must be going crazy… again. I don’t remember what your voice sounds like. I hope you feel better, Rain. I really mean that.”

            Kalin left.

            In the wake of the vision’s end, my consciousness recovered within the fields of the Gilded Gate. The darkness had left the sky. Hermos said, “Geez, Rain, you alright? That wicked lightning hit you, and your arm started lighting up!”

            “The invading force was malignant,” Timaeus said. “What do you believe it to be, general?”

            My face was grave as I held out my right hand. The dark mark of the Giant glowed against the skin of my forearm. “My consequence.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand that's a wrap! Thanks to everyone who followed along, whether thru kudos, bookmarks, or subbing. The support means a ton to me. There's a sequel to this, but I won't start posting it here until after I finish a story in the Yu-Gi-Oh! DM section. I'll be posting it this Wednesday; it's called Under the Apple Tree. That'll finish in a few months. Again, the sequel will begin afterward. I appreciate everyone who took the time to read this fic, and I'd love to know if it has impacted you in any way. This is Time Thief, signing off ヽ(^◇^*)/

**Author's Note:**

> \- As always, constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated! I love hearing what you think! ♥


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